


Vicissitude

by SpazzaturaXIII



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Powers, Alternate Universe- Monsters, Death, Deception, Drug Use, Dubious Consent, F/F, F/M, Flirting, Gen, LGBTQ Character, Lots of it, M/M, Multi, Murder, Objectification, Possessive Behavior, Prison-ish, Save Me, Secrets, Sex, Slow Burn, Suicide, Supernatural - Freeform, house/apartment/room/what/hotel/save me/matrix/i dont even know what this is, i planned this all in one day, matrix-y, no not the show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-26 22:49:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 73,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9927596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpazzaturaXIII/pseuds/SpazzaturaXIII
Summary: Vicissitude- a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasantAlex's mother had warned him about strangers. She also told him how, sometimes, accepting other's generosity could lead to bad karma. One slip up. All it took was one slip up for everything to go completely out of proportions and mess up.He should have listened to his mother.-discontinued-





	1. Chapter One

Alex’s mother had warned him about staying away from strangers. She must have known she wouldn’t last long. Hell, she had been planning for her death his entire life. She never paid extra. Alex’s mother had left him with all the money she had ever saved up. She made sure to take care of him. She used every penny she could bear to spend on him. Even that wasn’t a lot. 

She had whispered in his ear as she was dying. Alex didn’t remember what she had said. He was too scared to. Her arms had tightened around him. She had wasted her last bouts of energy on him. Her last breaths were spent speaking to him. The rest of her strength on holding him. The last thing Alex was was grateful. 

He hadn’t cried, either. He was too much in shock. When her head had fallen back against the pillow and her arms fell limp around him, he knew what had happened. She never told him she was sick. 

He had checked her pulse. Nothing. 

He did what he had always been told to do. He stayed calm. He lifted himself away from her. He gently kissed her forehead and whispered to himself that he loved her. He went to the phone and called 911, trying as hard as he could to remain calm. His voice had shaken, but he wasn’t crying. His heartbeat was so violently loud in his ears he couldn’t think straight. 

He couldn’t  _ see  _ straight.

The operator on the other line had told him that people were coming and told him to stay put at his house. He did. He put the phone back on the wall and sat down at the foot of his mother’s bed. Her hand was hanging off the mattress. Alex sat with his hands folded and stared across the room at the clock on the wall. 

Three minutes ago she had been alive.  _ Three minutes.  _ Alex almost couldn’t comprehend that. His mother, who had been his closest living relative and had given him the most love he had ever been shown for fourteen years, was dead. He was alone. That he knew of, there was no one he could go to. 

The ambulance came in six minutes, forty-three seconds. Alex knew because he watched the clock the entire time. He sat as still as possible, like if he moved his mother would spring up and scold him for doing so. For some reason that scared him. Yet at the same time, he would have done anything to have her speak to him again. 

The police took Alex in their car when the ambulance took his mother’s body. They asked him an assortment of questions, ranging from if he went to school to if his mother had other health problems to if he had depression. He didn’t answer, he just nodded his head at questions he didn’t really understand. He felt… disconnected. 

It had happened on multiple occasions- the disconnected feeling. 

The first was when his father had left them, a note on the kitchen counter and a phone number that they never called. He had memorized it. Second, when his brother had left him, screaming about how he was being wasted with them and how they never did anything for him. Third, when a tropical storm tore through their small town and Alex had watched from a emergency helicopter as floods washed away everything. 

He couldn’t describe it well. Well, he couldn’t describe it at all. So he sat in the police car, staring out the window with his hands folded in his lap. 

His mother had warned him about strangers a lot more than a mother should, come to think about it. Were police categorized as strangers? Should they be? Because Alex had willingly climbed into their car and was being driven somewhere by them. Alex assumed that they had good intentions, but there was still a stabbing, needle thin pain in his gut that something was wrong. Nothing happened in that car ride, Alex was just paranoid. He guessed that was his subconscious reminding him of what his now dead mother had always told him. 

She would be disappointed. 

______________________________________________________________________

 

Alex had been sleeping more frequently, he noticed, once he started going back to school. It wasn’t difficult for him, god, no. It was just, heavy. It was like a weight on him. He always had headaches, always had a paper due, always had someone asking him for a damn pencil- lots and lots of stress. He didn’t  _ have  _ to go to school. He just realized that he was getting in far too much trouble without it. He started smoking, he started hanging out in very shady parts of the city, and luckily Alex was smart enough to recognize that before he got in a lot of trouble. He still smoked though. 

Alex was out to make sure he didn’t completely ruin his life, but he wasn’t going to make the change to make it better. 

School prevented him from looking for more ways to solve his boredom. He was really debating dropping, though. Again, an unnecessary amount of stress and an indescribable load of debt. Oh Lord, the debt. Alex never appreciated the posts about how terrible college was until he actually went. 

He was just so  _ tired  _ all the time. 

Maybe, instead of sitting and complaining about how tired he was, he should actually sleep. It was- Alex turned his head to look at his clock. It was one a.m. He turned back to stare at the ceiling. He toyed with the loose sheets in his hands. He really should start taking sleeping medication. His insomnia had gotten worse. That was saying something. A big something. 

After trying to sleep for almost an hour more, turning over in the blankets and punching the shit out of his pillow, he sat up. It was one-fifty two. He wasn’t going to get any sleep at this rate, might as well go do something. 

He swung his legs over the side of his bed, staring across his apartment at the wall. He strategically placed another clock on that wall, imitating the way his mother had set things up when she was still around. He stood up and turned into the kitchen, heading to get his phone. Maybe he could try and call someone? That would probably go downhill pretty fast, as everyone in his phone would be pissed at him for calling in the middle of the night, even more so that it was Alex. A call from Alex in the middle of the night was like a gift from the Devil himself. Maybe he’d just go out for drinks. Alone, of course. 

He put on some sweatpants that were laying on his bedside table and put his hair up, not looking in the mirror that was conveniently placed on the back of his apartment door. It was too much work to actually care. He was just going to go, get wasted, come home, pass out on his bed and skip the next day of school. That seemed to be a pattern with him. He had turned twenty one almost a month ago, but he was still unruly enough to have gotten blackout drunk on multiple occasions. 

He opened the door to his dorm and closed it slowly behind him, glancing down the hall to make sure no one else was out. If someone was out, he’d probably go back inside and stay there. Any chance of interaction was terrible and he wouldn’t risk it. Luckily for him, no one was there. 

He started walking down the hall, shoving his hands in his pockets as he did. Once he got to the staircase, he realized he didn’t have his contacts or glasses. He threw his head back and groaned, and he actually contemplated going back for them. But of course, Alex was Alex. He wasn’t going back for them. He continued down, trying not to make too much noise as he stumbled down the stairs. He had to be careful the first time, because the second time, there was no hope of silence. He was looking to get drunk, so drunk he would get. 

Once he reached the bottom of the staircase, he stepped out of the apartment building into the street. His apartment building was on a busy street, which was slightly annoying when he was actually trying to sleep, but it was also good for getting out quickly. He blinked against the sudden wind that hit him, frustratingly tightening his ponytail, and turned to walk down the sidewalk. He nearly forgot that it was two a.m., as there were still a good amount of people around. It was college. No one gave a fuck about bedtimes. 

He got to the street corner and awkwardly stood next to the person already leaning against the streetlamp. They gave a small smile and wave, Alex just hardened his glare. They seemed a bit taken aback, giving him a small grunt of protest as they turned away from him. Alex smiled to himself. He had  _ no  _ idea what satisfaction he got from being such a dick, but it had worked his entire life, so why stop?

The street sign changed to ‘walk’ and Alex gawkily jogged down the road before the other person could catch up with him. 

Another good thing in Alex’s life was the bar’s proximity to his apartment. It was hardly two blocks away. Perfect for times like this, when he was half asleep and just needed to get drunk. Honestly, even someone like Alex was able to recognize the severity of him “needing” to get drunk. It wasn’t good. It definitely wasn’t healthy. But he’d been through enough shit to deserve to say that. If anything, he felt obliged to say things like that. It would be nearly unnatural if he hadn’t said that at least once in his life. 

But it was too late to start rethinking his life. Even if he wanted to, he was in  _ way  _ too deep to change. And he didn’t want to, so he was fine for the time being. All he had to do was keep breathing, even if it was a burden for everyone else and himself. God, he loved basking in self-pity. He was good at it. 

The bar he went to was one of those bars that opened at around eleven and closed the next morning. Alex was positive they had to drag people out every morning, passed out from the previous night, as he had been in that boat multiple times. There wasn’t a limit to how much you could drink, and no one actually gave a fuck if you didn’t have an I.D. If you had the money to pay and you looked like you were around twenty, it was fine by the bartenders. 

Alex admired the way it looked for a few moments. It was partially under ground level, you had to go down two steps to get to the main entrance, so there weren’t any windows. That was good for this place. On the wall that was facing the street was covered in graffiti- ranging from pure art to crudely drawn genitalia- which gave it an even shadier look. The front door was wooden, and the actual wood was hidden behind random flyers and posters and messages that people had stapled to it. The door alone was an art form. It was always coated in the papers, and it had gained about half an inch of width at the most densely packed point.

Alex had never drawn anything on the wall, or stapled anything to the door, but he did have a stain on the sidewalk outside. It was a grotesque, maroon stain that he had put there after falling on his chin after quite literally being thrown out of the bar because he couldn’t hold his head up to take another sip. That, and he was out of money. He still had a scar on his jaw from where it happened, though you would have to be really paying attention to see it. 

No one had been close enough to see it since then, as he had gained a reputation for being the worst kid on campus and hadn’t had anything near a sexual relationship in nearly two years. Of course, he hadn’t had any sort of relationship, either. He didn’t blame anyone. 

He stood at the top of the stairs, rubbing his foot on the bloodstain he left. It was pretty faded at this point, but if you had seen it before, there was no chance you were ever going to forget it. And Alex actually put it there, so of course he wouldn’t forget it. Actually, he passed out the moment his head hit the floor. Someone told him when he was at class the next day that everyone had seen him fall on a Friday night at three a.m. after getting wasted to get over his lack of anyone to call even an acquaintance.

Again. Too late to rethink his life. He took the two steps down to the front door, startled by the door opening once he reached the bottom. Two girls came out, looking completely sober. They also looked pissed. The taller one had a cigarette hanging from her lips and the shorter one was carding through her wallet, grumbling to herself. Alex wedged past them to get to the door, but the taller one put her hand on his shoulder. 

“If you don’t have an I.D., you ain’t gettin’ in.” Alex scowled at the manicured fingers on his shoulder, but he raised an eyebrow.

“Since when?” The shorter one huffed and shoved her wallet into the pocket of her jeans. 

“Since they got a new owner. He doesn’t fuck around.” Alex groaned, but he still wanted to go in and make sure. “If you can hook someone up to buy you drinks, you’re set.” The taller one looked him up and down again and then curled her lip. 

“You’re out of luck, bud. You should probably just go home-” Alex had gone in once she started talking. He was looking to get drunk, not to be insulted. Even though Alex was ignoring them, he still took into consideration what they said. They were right, as Alex was entirely out of luck if the only way to get drunk was to charm his way into getting someone to buy him drinks. He was bad enough at introducing himself to people, he would mortify whoever he was trying to charm. 

Alex would just go inside, sit down at the bar, order some water, and then maybe if he was feeling better than he was at the moment, he would order something. Unsurprisingly, bars in the center of college campuses were usually still full at two a.m. Lucky for Alex, the busier they got, the less they cared- Then again, that was the old owner. If the girls were telling the truth, he was out of luck. Still, he slunk in and sat at the first open bar stool he could find.   
He slouched over and crossed his arms, propping one up to rest his head on his hand. The bartender sent him a dirty look and continued to clean the glass they were  holding as they walked towards him. 

“What can I get you?” They put the glass down and put a hand on their hip. Alex noticed the prominent bags under their eyes and the grey hairs mixed with the black. Alex almost felt bad for a moment, until they spoke again. “Look, I’m not playing these games. What do you want-” 

“Water,” Alex mumbled, staring across the bar to look at the other people sitting there. The bartender slammed the glass down (it didn’t break, regretfully) and started angrily muttering to themself as they walked away, going through a door into the break room, presumably. Alex was actually considering stepping around the counter to get him his own drink, but he was actually far too lazy to even do that. Alex had done it before, but sometimes he just wasn’t feeling it. He was too tired and too desperate to risk getting caught. 

After sitting there alone for a few minutes, he was about ready to leave. If the bar was gonna run like this, he would have to suck it up and buy his own alcohol. Then he could get drunk alone and not leave his apartment. Wait, he did that anyway. Only then he wouldn’t have to leave to get drunk in the first place. Alex was blankly staring across the bar until someone sat down in his line of view. He glanced away and stared at the glossy wooden surface of the bartop. The last thing he needed was to strike up a conversation. That would end up being terrible for him, and the other person would probably regret it for the rest of their life. 

Alex was zoning out, chewing on his bottom lip and snapping an extra hair tie against his wrist. The bartender hadn’t come back yet, and the person who he had made eye contact with hadn’t left, but they hadn’t come over to him to say anything yet. Alex sighed and pushed himself up to leave. There was nothing there for him, so he was just gonna leave and pick something up from 7-11 on his way home to try and keep himself awake until the next morning. 

Lord, he was really looking forward to getting drunk. Once he stood up, he stretched his arms and cracked his back, almost like he was stalling. Like the moment he stepped out of the door the bartender would come back with his water- which he didn’t even want. Before he could step away from where he was standing, someone sat down in the seat next to his. 

“Have I ever seen you before?” Alex turned his head to see him, a bit startled to see that it was the man he had been avoiding.  _ Shit.  _

“Uh, no, I don’t go here.” Alex tried, turning away from him again. The man gently grabbed his wrist. Alex swiveled around to him again, furrowing his eyebrows. “What do you want?” The man didn’t look aggressive, he actually looked pretty calm. 

“I just really think that I’ve seen you before.” He stared at him for a few moments, squinting. Alex shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, but didn’t move. “Aren’t you the guy who fell?” Alex rolled his eyes. 

“You’re kidding, right? No, I’m not that guy.” The man smirked. Alex crossed his arms and shifted his weight to his left foot, biting his lip where it had become raw from when he was zoning out. 

“Really? Because the little scar on your jaw says otherwise.” Alex subconsciously reached up to touch his jaw, his fingers gravitating to the small patch of rougher skin. The man grinned. “Trust me, I know you go here.” Alex pursed his lips. 

“How do you know this isn’t from something else?” Alex raised an eyebrow at the man, who chuckled. 

“You’re really stubborn, y’know that?” He held out his hand. Alex glared at him. “C’mon. I’m just trying to be polite.” Alex hesitantly took his hand, a little startled as he tightened his grip. 

“How do you know I fell?” Alex questioned, sitting back on the seat he had just left. The man just smiled at him, dropping his hand and leaning on the bar. 

“Trust me, everyone knows it was you. Well, if they’d checked YouTube.” Alex raised his eyebrows and frowned. 

“You’re kidding me.” The man laughed. 

“I’m Aaron Burr,” He held out his hand again. Alex glared at him and crossed his arms. “Just call me Burr, only girls call me Aaron.” Suddenly his eyes widened. “Shit, uh, do you, uh-”

“I’m a guy,  _ Burr. _ ” He hissed. The man- Burr- let out a sigh of relief and put his hand down. 

“Well I didn’t offend anyone yet-”

“I never said you weren’t offending me.” Burr raised an eyebrow and his lips parted in a confused expression. 

“What? Dude, I’m really sorry if I did-”

“What the hell do you want?” Burr laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Alex looked around, annoyed. The bar was still packed with people ordering food and drinks and- oh, there was the bartender who left Alex. Great. Alex turned back to Burr, who was looking around at where he was looking. 

“Did the bartender leave you hanging?” What was up with this guy? Why did he care? Honestly, this was probably an entirely normal conversation to be having, but Alex was so used to being ignored and antisocial, a conversation like this was nearly exceptional. 

“Yeah. Why?” Burr reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He then got out his I.D., which under Alex’s examination, didn’t seem fake. “You’ve got a real I.D.?” Burr laughed. 

“Um, yeah? You don’t?” Alex shifted and muttered a small “no” and Burr laughed again. “Do you want me to buy you a drink? I mean, of course, if you’re twenty one.” 

“I turned twenty one a month ago, so it’s fine.” Burr smiled at him, it was a genuine smile. For once. Most people didn’t smile at Alex. Then again, he just glared at everyone and looked just about ready to stab everyone he passed, so it made sense why you wouldn’t want to converse with him. 

“If you didn’t have an I.D., why did you come to a bar?” Alex shrugged. 

“Well, they switched owners, and the old owners really didn’t care. Like, when I first came here I was only nineteen, but I got completely drunk and they just dropped me outside. That’s actually when I got this.” Burr leaned on his arm, grinning. 

“First time you got drunk?” Alex shook his head regretfully. 

“Nah, I just can’t hold it. I take two shots and I’m out.” Burr chuckled and got the bartender's attention (a different one). 

“Maybe I shouldn’t buy you a drink, then?” Alex shook his head, forcing a bit of a laugh. Alex never laughed. Now this wasn’t him just being pathetic, he just didn’t. He smiled and grinned, but he just didn’t laugh. He never had. Of course, if he found something funny enough he would, but he wasn’t very prone to laughing. He sounded really pathetic. Then again, he was. 

“No, no, as long as you can be the designated driver.” He joked. Burr shrugged. 

“I walked here, but I can drag you home if you need it. Where do you live?” Alex thought for a moment. Come to think of it, he knew the building, but not the specific place. It was kinda just like muscle memory. He knew which building it was, and he knew that it was on the fifth floor, but he didn’t know the specific room number. That probably made no sense, but it made sense to Alex. 

“You’re gonna think I’m already drunk, huh, but I don’t actually know.” Burr nodded, understanding. “I don’t know what it is, but-”

Burr interrupted him. “It’s like muscle memory?” Alex blinked. What the hell was up with this guy? He comes up to him knowing what his scar was, offered him drinks, and then quite literally read his mind. “Trust me, it’s not very uncommon. I’ve heard that a lot.” Alex shrugged. 

“I don’t talk to people much and hardly get into conversations like this, so I guess so.” Burr smiled and ordered two drinks and then handed one to Alex when the bartender gave them to him. 

“Y’know, you’re pretty interesting.” He took a sip and then his eyes widened. “Wait, oh my god, what’s your name?” Alex smirked and took a sip of his, already remembering why he loved alcohol so much. The way it burned his throat and left a sweet taste on his tongue. Oh, boy. This was gonna be fun. 

“Alex Hamilton,” Burr didn’t say anything. “What?” Burr chuckled a bit and awkwardly shrugged. 

“I don’t know, should I just call you Alex? Hamilton?” 

“I don’t know, I don’t really care.” He took another sip. Then he downed the whole glass. Burr slid his over to him, visibly surprised as he picked it up with no hesitation. 

“Well, ok, Alex. I can call you Alex, right?” He was already calling the bartender over again to get refills. Alex nodded, running his finger along the rim of the glass. Burr slid the next two over to him. He picked them back up and started drinking them. Burr looked impressed for a moment, his eyebrows raised and his arms crossed. “You don’t have any chill, do you?” 

Alex put the glass down, a bit annoyed. “Look, you don’t know what’s happened to me, so stop judging my ways of coping with it.” God, how strong was that stuff? Alex was already more touchy than usual before he started drinking, so it wasn’t gonna be long before he was fighting this  _ Burr  _ character. 

“Wanna talk to me about it?” Alex shook his head, but then chuckled. There was a laugh. The alcohol was already settling in. 

“After a few drinks, sure.” Alex was lucky that he didn’t slur his speech when he was drunk. He rambled more when drunk, if that was even possible. Burr nodded and took out his phone, Alex didn’t know (didn’t care) what he was doing, and Alex downed the next two glasses. Again, he got drunk a lot. But every time he remembered why he liked it so much. It was  _ awesome _ . About what he said about how he’d been through a lot of shit, he really had. He deserved to get drunk. The only problem: Burr may not take him home safely. For all he knew, he could leave him there and have him kicked out again with another scar on his jaw and a new graffiti mark on the ground. 

Alex did not care, as two more glasses were in front of him and Burr had put his phone away and was patiently waiting to hear from Alex. After he had drank another one and started to get concerned glances from the other people there, he decided it would be best to tell him his life story. Come on, this man was obviously good-intentioned. He was buying Alex drinks and promised to take him home when he was wasted. 

“Oh, ok… So, well my mom had me and my brother, um, and my dad was… uh, he left when I was, um, six? Or maybe I was eleven, I don’t know, somewhere around there.” Burr nodded, clearly trying to contain his amusement over this man trying to hold his alcohol. And failing miserably. 

“He, uh, I don’t, uh, I don’t know where he went? He gave us a phone number… Um, eight-six, uh, eight-six-nine, I think? And then four, two, I don’t, uhm, I don’t remember his phone number.” He drank the rest of the remaining drink. Burr got him a different one. “Lord, uh, thanks for… What even is this?” He laughed, holding the glass up to the light as if it would reveal to him what the drink was. Burr smiled and shrugged. 

“Unimportant, anyway, continue telling me about your family.” Alex nodded, leaning over against the table, his face pressed against the wood and his arm resting in front of him, holding the base of the glass. 

“Uh, well yeah he left, and my mom and my brother and I moved to, uh, we moved… We moved to a different place and my mom, uh, she had a different job. Yeah, she had a different, uh, she had another job.” He went to tilt the glass towards his face, still laying down, and so Burns? Burr? Whatever- He reached over to grab the back of Alex’s shirt to pull him straight up again. “Is your, uh, is your name Burr?” 

He laughed. “You got it,” Alex nodded, squinting at the drink in front of him. 

“Thanks for buying me, uh, what is this-”

“You asked me that already, Alex. Continue telling me about your life.” Alex laughed and took another sip. He really got drunk fast. It was a miracle Burr didn’t invite him to do shots with him. He would have passed out at that point. But as long as Burr was buying him drinks, he would keep drinking them. 

“Well she got a job… When I was, uh, nineteen? Or was it ten? Again, uh, somewhere around, uh, that age, my brother left us and, uh, yeah. Well, now I got all my mom’s money, so that’s pretty fine.” Burr raised an eyebrow. 

“You have all your mom’s money?” Alex blinked at him, processing the question. 

“Uh, yeah?” He laughed. “Why wouldn’t I? She, uh, well she died, so of course I have all of her money? Hah, is… Uh, is that weird? Am I crazy?” Burr handed him another drink. “Are you rich?” 

Burr was visibly incredibly amused, and his mouth was drawn in a straight line to keep from laughing at this man whom he had just gotten drunk. “No, this is just cheap alcohol.” Alex nodded and let his mouth hang open. 

“That, uhm, that makes sense. Well, my mom died and the police, uh, took me to an orphanage, uh, I think it was an orphanage? G-Graham, uh, Windham? Is that, uh, is that what it’s called?” Burr nodded, also clearly pretending to be interested, but Alex was so drunk he couldn’t tell if he actually just got up and left him. 

“I’ve heard of that. Is it nice?” 

“I don’t… Uh, I think so? Yeah, um, it was nice, I guess. I don’t really, uh, I don’t…” Suddenly Burr’s shoes seemed much more interesting than he had remembered. “Where did, uh, where did you get those shoes?” Burr bit his lip and stood up from his chair, turning to the bartender and handing them his credit card. 

“I think it’s time to go home.” Alex laughed at him, going to stand up before Burr rushed over to him to to hold him up as he leaned forward to fall over. “No, uh, I need to carry you. You can’t stand.” Burr was  _ right _ . 

Being drunk was  _ awesome.  _ Alex loved the feeling of not being able to stand on his own, and he loved the millions of thoughts rushing through his mind. He loved the disconnected feeling. Alex could remember the last time he was this drunk- wait, um, no he didn’t. He thought he did. It was last week, or last month? He couldn’t remember. Hell, for a moment he thought he could. He probably could if he wasn’t so drunk. But you couldn’t rewind drunkenness… Could you? He chuckled at himself. 

Burr raised an eyebrow at him- he did that a lot- but he still put his arm around him and helped him walk out the door. They stopped halfway through and Burr had to grab Alex before he fell over (another graffiti mark) from the sudden movement. Alex, frustrated, looked around to complain at why Burr was stopping. 

The bartender was standing there, tiredly scowling at Burr. “Look, Mr, I don't know if I can trust you with him.” Burr seemed offended. 

“What do you mean?” Alex burped. Oh god, remind him not to do that when drunk. Burr seemed startled by that, but just tightened his grip on Alex’s shoulders so he didn't sway too much and get sick all over those lovely shoes of his. Alex still wanted to know where he got them. 

“This happens too often at colleges. I need you to get me his I.D. and let me call his house.” Burr’s grip tightened again, not out of reassurance or safety, but he realized that he was in a bit of a pickle. Alex did not have an I.D., Burr was sure of that. “What are you waiting for? Pass it up,” The bartender got closer. 

“Can I have him give you a call tomorrow? I've known Alex forever and he just forgot it today. I'll even have him stop by so you can see that he's fine.” He suggested. The bartender squinted. 

“Fine. But if he doesn't show up, I'm calling the police on your ass.” They warned and sent him one last dirty look, and then turned away from them to go back to the actual bar. Burr checked his watch. 

“It's 2:34,” He clicked his tongue. “I should probably get you home.” Alex opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, drool dropped down his chin. He giggled as Burr cringed and wiped it off with his shirt sleeve. “Ew,” 

Burr seemed really familiar. Had he seen him before? Probably. Alex was really popular. He thought. He had friends, right? Of course he did. He was fun when he was drunk. He must have seen Burr before. Yeah, he had. Probably. 

“Do I, uh, know you?” He mumbled, his speech a bit slurred, but still enunciated enough to be intelligible. Burr actually laughed, throwing his head back and shaking his head. 

“No, Alex. You've never seen me, we just met.” He answered, finally. He was making sure that the bartender was out of earshot. He went as far to get to the corner of the street. “I'm gonna take you home, and then you can sleep.” Alex's head was starting to hurt. His stomach was too. Alex had a habit of drinking a lot in a very short amount of time, and that was bad. For a lot of reasons. But at that moment, liver failure was the last of his problems and the slight headache he was getting seemed most important. 

Burr had an iron grip on him, so when he took the opposite turn that Alex went down to get back to his apartment, he didn’t really question it. Maybe he was actually going to murder him. Or worse, kill him. Oh boy, anything but those two things. Alex couldn’t see straight and at this point was practically being dragged by Burr down the street. He imagined what they looked like. He giggled. 

“Hey man, are you gonna vomit everywhere? Or pass out? Because if so, tell me and I’ll hold your sweatshirt strings.” He enunciated his warning by tugging on the strings, making Alex lurch forward. He went to giggle again, but all that came out was a rather unattractive hiccup, that sounded more like he was about to vomit. Burr jumped a bit to the side as Alex leaned forward and kept his distance as they kept walking. 

“Dude, seriously, watch the shoes.” Burr demanded, glaring. He was still holding onto Alex, but his hold had loosened greatly. Alex was staring at his own feet- hyper-aware of how mediocre his own shoes were- to make sure he didn’t fall over himself. He needed to find those shoes. They were gorgeous. He had never seen shoes- wait, he had seen them before. What was  _ happening? _

He was just incredibly drunk. It felt good at first, but now he was just starting to feel sick. Burr was probably regretting offering to bring him home. Speaking of home, where on earth were they going? Alex had never been down this street before- then again, he could have walked down it every day. He was just so drunk he couldn’t recognize it to save his life. 

Burr seemed to know where he was going. Maybe he was taking an alternative route to his house? Wait, he didn’t know where his house was, did he? Oh, Alex probably told him before he got drunk. Obviously. Burr wouldn’t do that. Alex knew Burr. He trusted him. He was doing the right thing. Even if they weren’t going to Alex’s house, they were probably going to somewhere else nice. Perhaps, more alcohol. Alex hummed at the thought of more alcohol, only the increasingly painful headache he had was saying the complete opposite. 

They were walking down a rather dark street and the few street lamps were making his eyes hurt. He looked up at the sky, leaning on Burr even more for support. Sometimes Alex could see stars. Or was that just his brain making the stars appear? Either way, they looked pretty that night. Alex grinned and chuckled, unaware that Burr had stopped walking. He was reaching into his pocket to grab something, holding onto Alex’s sweatshirt hood so he didn’t fall. He swayed a bit and angrily yelped as it tightened against his neck, but Burr had taken out a key and opened the door.

“Chill, man. You’re fine.” He grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Alex’s head was pulsating with pain at this point, of course, he didn’t actually notice until he was hunched over. His throat burned and he felt like he was gonna vomit, but he couldn’t really tell. Burr was holding his arm so he didn’t tip over and faceplant into the ground (he had a very strong grip) as Alex covered his mouth with his shirtsleeves. “Dude, don’t puke all over your shirt, stop, seriously. I’m regretting helping you.” Burr warned, his voice dripping with annoyance. 

Alex went to laugh and apologize, but instead, threw up on the floor. Burr cried out, almost dropping him, but regaining himself. “Alex, oh my god, stop being like this. I’m going to leave you outside. Ok, uh…” He leaned Alex against the wall, glaring as Alex stared at the floor, completely surprised despite everything that had lead up to that. “Shit, man, I’m gonna get in trouble. Uh, see that plant over there?” He pointed to a small little tree in the corner. “It’s a random, makeshift idea, but I ain’t ready to get evicted. So, drag that over here-” He stopped. 

“No, I’ll get that.” He walked over to carefully set it over the disgusting puddle Alex had left on the floor of, uh, where were they? They were in a small room, evidently, with stairs leading up on one side and an elevator next to the base of them. There was a small, dim light hanging from the ceiling giving off an eerie, electric buzz, but it also gave them hardly any light to see. Great in Alex’s case. “C’mon, I’m taking you upstairs and you can take a shower. Actually, you should probably just sleep.” Alex nodded sleepily, his mouth hanging open. Burr turned back to face him and gagged. 

“Wipe off your chin, dammit.” Alex raised an arm to wipe it before Burr started a string of “no”s. “Are you actually five? God, let me get you a tissue, or something.” He grimaced as Alex put his arm down again, but still rummaged through his pockets to find something. He pulled out a piece of paper, definitely not a tissue, and handed it to him. Alex turned it over to see. It was a receipt from somewhere, he could tell by the total cost pretty clearly at the bottom, but the moment he looked at the lines to start reading what he had bought and where, his eyes went cross. He swayed again and Burr let out an anguished groan. 

“Oh my god,” He dragged out the ‘god’. “Stop reading it and clean yourself up. That option of leaving you outside is still very, very plausible.” What did plausible mean? Alex would definitely look it up. Once he could actually stand up straight by himself. “Seriously, someone’s gonna come in and think this is a really bad thing, when it isn’t.” That sounded suspicious. Was Burr a bad guy? Oh no, had Alex gone home with a bad guy? What was a bad guy, exactly? Someone who refused to let Alex drink more than two bottles of vodka at a time. Based on personal experience. A terrible, terrible experience. 

Alex wiped his chin off, staring at the paper in his hands. Burr put his hands on his hips, his jaw slack and his eyes tired. 

“Are you serious right now?” He ran a hand over his head- Alex was only noticing now that he didn’t have hair- and groaned. “I’m not touching that, so either use your brain or drop it.” Alex wasn’t sure the first option was even possible at this level of wasted-ness. So he dropped it on the floor. Burr groaned again, more panicked, and held both of his hands out. “What the fuck are you doing?!” He kicked the paper away from them, wrapping his hand around the crook of Alex’s elbow. “We’re getting upstairs and I’m giving you new clothes and you are going to bed, ok?” Burr was obviously incredibly annoyed at this point.

He took the first step onto the stairs, then seemingly changed his mind. “We’re taking the elevator.” Alex mustered all the strength he could, turning the question over and over in his mind until he was able to put it together. 

“What are, uh, where- no- uh, where are we, uhm... going?” That backfired. Burr pressed the ‘up’ button and tapped his foot as they waited for the doors to slide open. Once Alex asked the question, he near slapped his own face with his hand, leaning forward. 

“God, I want to slap you. We’re going to my room. I’ve literally told you that a million times.” Alex was pretty drunk, but he was pretty sure Burr hadn’t told him that a million times. Maybe, a few thousand times, but not a million. Million was a big number. Again, Alex was pretty drunk, but he wasn’t stupid. Alex was the last person he would call stupid. He was really smart, actually. Right? Hell yeah, he was smart. He was a fucking genius. “Can you understand me, or do I have to spell it out for you?” Alex giggled a bit, swaying on his feet and leaning more on Burr as they stepped into the elevator. 

“How often do you get drunk, Alex?” Burr asked, clicking his floor number. Was it a five? No, seven. Yeah, it was a five. “Or do you even know?” That was a bit  _ rude.  _ Alex pursed his lips and thought for a moment, concluding that he in fact did not remember. It seemed pretty new, but Alex was reacting too well to have this be his first time drunk. He really held his alcohol well, so he was fine. “I’m taking that as you don’t know, so okay.” The elevator started moving and Alex’s head started hurting a bit more. They stood in silence for a while, only moving once the elevator stopped and the doors opened for them to get out. Burr grabbed Alex’s arm again, this time closer to his wrists. 

The elevator lead directly into a long passageway, doors on each side. Some of them had stuff on them, like writing and paper, some of them were falling apart, and some of them were plain and boring. Alex was staring at them as they walked down the hall to Burr’s apartment. Burr’s grip had loosened a bit, but it was still harsh enough to ensure Alex wasn’t separated from him or he didn’t fall over. Burr stopped near the end of the hall, fumbling again in his pockets for another key. Alex could put the pieces together. 

That was a key to his apartment.

Hell yeah. He was a genius. Bow down to Alex.  _ God,  _ his head was  _ killing him.  _ Burr yanked him inside, with much more force than he probably needed to, and shut the door immediately after they were inside. Alex leaned against the wall for a brief moment, only to be pulled directly off by Burr. 

“You are going to change, and then sleep, okay? I don’t want to deal with you right now.” Alex was trying to think of a comeback, but he was all out of ideas. He was all out of ideas in general. He awkwardly followed Burr as he walked farther into the apartment, tugging on the sweatshirt strings he had miraculously kept clean. “Do you want anything in specific?” Alex cocked his head, thinking for a moment. He needed to sit down. He was swaying on his feet, and he had been for the past few minutes as Burr rummaged through his drawers to find something for him to wear. 

Alex looked around the room. It was pretty small, through a little doorway that was to your left after you walked into the apartment. The wallpaper was dated and peeling, but it had a nice aesthetic. There was a heavy smell in the air, a mix of cheap cologne and chamomile tea that seemed to calm Alex’s heartbeat and soothe the headache that was only getting worse. It was nice.  

After about two or three minutes of Burr grumbling to himself and ripping through the drawer, he turned around and handed him sweatpants and a t-shirt.

“Does this work?” Alex only realized then how tired he was. He really wanted to go to sleep. He glanced over to his right at the couch pressed against the wall. Then he looked back around. Burr sighed and put the clothes on the ground. “If you pass out, aim to fall on the couch. I'm going to bed, so try not to bother me. Unless you're literally dying. If so, wake me up.” He grumbled and turned away from him, shutting the door behind him. 

Alex went to change and got as far as changing shirts, but was overcome by dizziness from the sudden movements. He sat down on the couch, running his fingers over the fabric. It was soft. He wanted to fall asleep. He didn't have to change pants. He laid down, taking his old sweatshirt and putting it under his head. The clock across from him read 3:57. God, this would be an interesting story. One night Alexander Hamilton got completely drunk at 3 am because some stranger bought him sixteen drinks. Then, after being so wasted he couldn't tell what was going on, he was dragged back to his house and fell asleep on his couch, and luckily, was not murdered. Yet, at least. 

Alex turned away from the clock, holding one hand over his ear. The ticking of it was hurting his head. His eyelids were heavy and he didn't have another chance to open his eyes before he fell asleep. The last thought that came to his head was about his mother. That alone was enough to nearly make him sit upright and laugh hysterically, but nope. His mother. His mother's constant warnings about not going with strangers. Now look at him. Her son, the only one she had to worry about, had become  _ so  _ desperate he had allowed himself to get dragged home by a stranger. His mother probably planned for him to go to college. To get a job. Probably. 

He chuckled. Quite a turnaround in the agenda, huh? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you so much for reading!   
> Sorry for lack of exposition, I wanted to get this going!  
> I will try and post regularly, but I am a student, so apologies in advance!  
> If you have any questions or things to say, please comment below! I love reading them!


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of information in this one.  
> Alex has a hangover and people aren't considerate about that someone should help him seriously.

Hangovers were usually Alex’s worst enemy. This time it didn’t seem like it was going to be any different. He first noticed the headache. He had a headache the previous night, and he thought  _ that  _ was bad. He went to sit up, but there was an awful crick in his neck that was enough to make him stay laying down. Only then did he remember he wasn’t in his own bed .

Shit. 

He didn’t remember who brought him home. Good for him, he hadn’t been in a situation like this in a while. Well, hungover, yes. He had been hungover a lot. But waking up in someone else’s house and not remembering who they were. Hah, as if. As if the point hasn’t been made yet, people didn’t like Alex much. 

Alex sat unmoving for a while, his eyes closed. He really didn’t want to get up and face whoever’s house he was in. Maybe he could just get up and sneak out. Alex couldn’t- wait. That was actually a good idea. He had no idea what the layout of the apartment was, so he would just get up quietly and sneak out. Hopefully the other person was asleep. But, oh lord, his neck hurt. And his head hurt. Everything hurt. Hangovers were a bitch. 

After laying on the couch he had fallen asleep on for a good ten minutes, he went to open his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he was facing away from the room at the back of the couch. The second thing he noticed was how bright everything was. It was almost like when you were watching something and the main character opened their eyes to see a light or the sky and it’s really bright for a few seconds. Only this time, it didn’t go away until he had blinked a few times. 

He wanted to shift and get up, but it was hard. It was hard enough for Alex to get up on normal days, nonetheless on days he had hangovers. He let out a long sigh and shifted. 

“Shh,” There was a voice behind him. He stopped, his eyes completely wide despite the blinding light from the rest of the room.  _ Dammit _ . Was this whoever brought him home? He didn’t want to see them. He internally whined, actually scared to move. He sat dead still, actually falling back into his first position from the desire to sit as still as possible. “Is he…?” The voice was back. 

“No, I don’t think he is.” Another voice. This one sparked a bit of recognition in the back of his mind, so he assumed this was whoever was with him the previous night. “Maybe he just fell back asleep?” 

“Or maybe you’re bein’ too loud and you scared ‘em?” The first voice spoke up again. They had a nice voice. Well, both people did. He was still terrified to turn around and face them. 

“Hey, he was fun last night-”

“You had sex with him? C’mon man, that’s rape-”

“I didn’t  _ have sex with him _ , John. He was just really chill.” Alex was learning a bit about what happened last night. He was probably a really cool guy drunk. He probably actually wanted to talk to people and converse with others. Very, very different from sober Alex.

“Didn’t he throw up everywhere?” The other person (Alex had just concluded that he was whoever took him home the previous night, judging by what he had said) chuckled a bit. 

“Well yeah, but-”

“Hey, dumbasses, maybe if you shut up he won’t hear us.” A third person. Great. So three people were watching him sleep. That was reassuring. This voice was much lower than all the others, but it was incredibly smooth and much more relaxed than the others too. 

“You shut the hell up, do you want him to stay asleep forever?” The person (John, was it?) snapped back. Alex decided to shift a bit more, just to try and wake himself up enough to actually get out of bed- er, couch. 

“Look, why doesn’t Burr just wake him up?” Someone scoffed. 

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me- No, you don’t wanna wake him up! He’s probably hungover as hell, that’s the last thing you wanna do-” Alex sat up. It was a bold move, but he wanted these guys to stop bickering and yelling, as that was hurting his head more than the actual hangover. It was actually quite humorous, the other three people, but he wanted them to stop. “Hey, man, we didn’t wan’ to like, wake you up, y’know, we’re sorry-”

“Laurens, I swear to God, I will slap you. Give him some space-” 

“Both of you, need to be quiet. Like, right now. Ok?” Alex turned his head to look at the three, squinting a bit against the harsh light from the dim ceiling lamp. Once he had a face to put with the familiar voice, he was positive he was the one who took him home. He was bald, and he didn’t think he even recognized anyone else who was bald. There were two other people. Laurens, the one who was doing the most excessive talking, had dark hair that was pulled loosely behind his head. Most notably were the freckles on his face that seemed more iridescent plum than natural skin tone. 

Unsettling, but pretty cool. Probably makeup. The last person in the room was almost a head taller than Laurens, and was probably three times as intimidating. 

“Alex? Do you know where you are?” The bald guy was talking. Alex was trying with all his might to remember his name, but all his might wasn’t very much. “I’m Burr?” Burr. His name was Burr. He knew that. 

“Um, yeah, I picked up what happened from you guys.” Alex half-heartedly nodded to the other two people. Burr chuckled uncomfortably. 

“Yeah, uh, that’s John-”

“You’re introducing me  _ wrong _ , Burr.” Laurens- or John- glared at him, stepping forward from where they were standing against the wall. He held out a hand, smiling at him. “Laurens. Don’t call me John, for the love of God.” Alex took his hand, surprised as his grip wasn’t as tight as his personality would warrant. 

“Um, ok,” Alex smiled weakly as to not seem too unfriendly. 

“Nice to meet you Alex, I’ve heard so much-”

“Laurens, chill. He just woke up.” The remaining unnamed person in the room stepped forward. Laurens shrugged unapologetically, but he did step back. “You can move, y’know. You don’t look comfortable.” He wasn’t. He did sit up, slowly, thankful for the stranger’s hand on his back to help him sit upright. 

“T-Thanks,” The man held out his hand. Alex took it. The man’s grip was firm, but in a good way. Comforting. 

“Mulligan,” He definitely didn’t seem too mean, but Alex was surely daunted by him. He stepped back when Burr put his hand on his shoulder, pushing him back. His face had a worried and stressed expression on it. 

“Look, Alex, I’m really sorry about what happened last night, I didn’t mean to get you so drunk, I just-”

“Then why'dja buy him a million drinks?” Laurens sneered from behind him, voicing a loud chuckle from Mulligan. Burr shot them an angry glare before turning back to Alex. 

“I’m really sorry that I didn’t ask if you wanted to come back to my place. I just, it was too confusing and I didn’t know where your apartment was, so I just, y’know, uh…” He nervously trailed off, earning a massive amount of jeering from the two behind him. The two seemed nice enough, but not to Burr. Maybe they were really close friends? Alex tried. His head was throbbing too much to use any actual cognitive thought. 

“Yeah, man, it’s fine. I would rather have had you bring me here than, uh, I don’t know, leaving me on the street, I guess.” Burr smiled at him. Burr actually seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Laurens and Mulligan on the other hand…

“Don’t worry, he didn’t try anything funny-” Burr snapped around at him.

“ _ John! _ ” Laurens laughed.

“Sorry, sorry, my mistake, don’t mess with the drunk guy you took home. We’re good, I get it.” Mulligan nudged him with his elbow, grinning widely. Laurens nodded a bit and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. They both had taken that stance, only Mulligan held himself much more proudly. Laurens looked like he was loitering. 

“Yeah, but he isn’t drunk anymore. Speaking of which, do you want anything?” Burr held out his hands, as if whatever Alex said would just appear in his hands. Alex thought for a moment. He could think of a million things that he wanted at the moment. Of course, as hangovers usually presented, he wanted more alcohol. “I have more alcohol, that’s what you need for hangovers, right? Is that, uh, what you do?” He turned to look expectantly at the two behind him. 

Laurens seemed offended. “Seriously? God, Burr, you seriously think that I know? I thought you were my friend, honestly.” Burr looked entirely unamused and unimpressed. Mulligan raised an eyebrow, directing it at Laurens. “Fine. Yeah, alcohol detoxification. Just, I dunno, bloody mary- Wait, fuck, do you have a headache?” Alex nodded. Laurens shoot his head. “Okay, forget what I said. You just need, uh, Gatorade and water, probably. We don’t have gatorade. What do we have, Burr?” 

Alex wanted to ask why on earth he was referring to the three as ‘we’, and he felt the desire to ask if they all lived together. He doubted it, as Laurens has a backpack slung over one shoulder and he and Mulligan had shoes on, Burr didn’t. 

“We don’t have it.” Laurens clicked his tongue. 

“Coffee?” Burr scoffed and shook his head, more rolling it a few times, sarcastically. 

“No, no we don’t have  _ coffee,  _ Laurens.” Laurens held up his hands. 

“Sorry, man, I wanted to make sure we had it instead of getting ‘is hopes up.” He said we again. Alex wasn’t at all suspicious, and that actually wasn’t sarcastic. He just wanted to know if they all lived together or not. Maybe Burr was still in college? He plucked up the courage to actually ask. 

“Um, do you guys all live together?” Laurens cocked his head and stood up from leaning on the wall. 

“Whaddya mean?” How could that question have been interpreted  _ literally  _ any other way?

“Well, you keep on saying ‘we’ instead of ‘you’, and I don’t know if you’re still in college, um, no, dumb question, uh, sorry-”

“Oh, nah, it’s fine, man.” Laurens made a dismissive gesture at him. “No, we don’t live together, but Herc and I are here enough to be considered “living with him”” He made air quotes. 

“Um, hah, uh…” Alex rubbed his neck and moved his hands to his temples. “Who’s Herc?” Mulligan gave a bark of a laugh. 

“It’s me, sorry ‘bout that.” Alex forced an uncomfortable smile, but it was incredibly hard with how much the hangover was getting to him. “Guys, can we just get him something? The poor guy’s probably dying right now.” 

Laurens shrugged and nodded, stepping across Mulligan to leave the small room they were in. Mulligan followed him, leaving Alex and Burr alone. 

“Do, uh, do you want me to help you up?” He held out a hand. Alex took it, pressing the heel of his palm against his forehead. “I’m really sorry, man. I should’ve told you I was gonna bring you here. Y’know, I just panicked a little once you got all tipsy, I didn’t really know what to do because I didn’t know where your house was, huh.” He chuckled again, helping Alex stand up from where he was sitting on the couch. “Look, I’m just really sorry, okay?” What was up with these guys? 

“I never said I was mad, actually. I’m pretty grateful that you took me here instead of leaving me on the street because, hah, that’d be pretty bad. I’m, uh, not one you would call street smart.” Burr smiled. “But, yeah, I really need that coffee right now, so we should go.” 

“Yeah, probably. Are you feeling okay? Well, you know, worse than you usually do with hangovers?” Alex shrugged. 

“Nah, not that unusual. Just the normal headache and nausea you get. Nothing too severe, and I’ve dealt with it more than enough times, so I’m used to it. It’s just annoying.” He explained this as they walked out of the smaller room. Alex was vaguely aware of what he had seen the previous night, but hardly enough to actually be confident in what he saw.

Across from the doorframe to the room they were in was a small walk-in closet. It was partially open and Alex could see shirts hanging up and shoes piled onto the floor, one pair sitting outside. Burr turned him so they were walking towards what looked like the living room and kitchen. They got there, and the first thing Alex noted was that there were no windows. Well, a bit different, but Alex knew there were apartments without windows in New York from when he was looking for places to live. 

Laurens was standing in the kitchen, struggling to get the coffee machine working, and Mulligan was leaning against the counter and giggling at him. 

“Burr, how the hell do ya’ work this thing?” He slammed his fist down on the top and jumped back as it began to beep. “What the  _ fuck? _ ” He held out the ‘fuck’, drawing more laughter from Mulligan. Burr groaned and left Alex, patting him on the arm as he walked towards him. 

“Goodness, John, it isn’t hard-”

“Stop calling me  _ John _ !” He yelled, slamming his fist down on the top again. Mulligan just laughed harder, but he didn’t seem to mind his laughter. Burr’s, on the other hand… “Fix. It.  _ Aaron _ ! See, it isn’t fun!” He yelled, taking out his pony tail and shaking his head a few times, before flipping over and putting it up again. Burr raised his eyebrows as he stopped the machine’s beeping and began to fill up the pot with water from the sink behind him. “Just, dammit, I dunno, shut up and fix the damn thing-”

“Laurens, calm down.” Mulligan put a hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing little circles on it with his thumb. “Breathe,” Laurens glared at him a bit, but he followed Mulligan’s hand moving up and down as well as breathing at the same time as him. That was sweet. Alex hadn’t known them for long, but he could definitely tell that they were close. Did Laurens have some sort of anxiety? Anger issues, maybe, but again: Cognitive thought was out of question in Alex’s state. 

“I fixed it, just put in the coffee and do whatever else you want to it.” Burr pressed one last button on the machine and walked over to a cabinet. “Alex, do you want water? It may help with the coffee.” 

Alex nodded, awkwardly sitting down in one of the chairs at the table. Laurens filled up the machine, opening his mouth to speak, but he shut it when there was knocking on Burr’s door. No one did anything for a few moments, they just stood and awkwardly and looked at each other. Laurens started the machine. There was more knocking. 

“Someone should get that.” Mulligan glanced at the door, but went directly back to the book in his hands that he seemed to have picked up right from Burr’s counter. Burr glared at him with a slack jaw, but did turn to walk to the door. He placed two glasses on the counter, each one filled with water that Alex graciously took. 

“Burr, tell them to go away, we don’t want any. Unless they’re girl scouts, keep them.” Mulligan scoffed at Laurens, who was drinking the coffee he had just made. Laurens jumped onto the counter to sit on it, kicking his legs out. 

“You have never had a girl scout cookie in your entire life, Laurens. I don’t think you’ve ever  _ seen  _ a girl scout.” Laurens made a mocking expression at Mulligan, but leaned forward to look to the front door. “Yo, Burr, who is it?” 

“It’s just Steuben,” Burr turned back to the three of them briefly. Laurens gasped and jumped off, putting his coffee down. 

“ _ Just _ Steuben? It’s  _ just  _ Steuben? Burr, Steuben is special, he ain’t a ‘just’.” Laurens ran to the door, grabbing his coffee again. Mulligan smiled at Laurens and slid another coffee towards Alex, who replaced the water he was drinking with it. Alex listened in on what they were saying. It wasn’t very hard as the apartment must have been thirty feet at its longest point- at most. 

“Damn, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Laurens leaned against the doorframe, blocking Alex from seeing this ‘Steuben’ figure. 

“Yeah, it has.” Whoever Steuben was, he didn’t seem too thrilled to see either Burr or Laurens. “Mr. Burr, you have denied filling out your residency forms for almost five months now.” Burr nervously shifted his weight on his feet. Laurens lowly whistled and Burr punched his arm, obviously annoyed. 

“I know, I know, I’ve just been really busy with school-” 

“Quite a few of your  _ former  _ schoolmates could still fill out  _ their  _ residency forms on time.” Laurens raised his eyebrows and turned back to walk into the kitchen again, sitting back on top of the counter. He took a sip of his coffee again, and nearly a second after Alex began wondering who Steuben was, he spoke. 

“Hamilton!” Burr must have told them what his last name was, because there was no way he would have known it. “You don’t know who Steuben is!” Alex shrugged. 

“Yeah, but-” He was cut off as Steuben stormed into the kitchen, his arms full of paperwork. 

“I’m going to need to ask you three to leave, as Burr and I have some business to attend to and I would rather you not be here.” He glared at Laurens and Mulligan, but stopped and looked Alex up and down. “Who are you?” Alex jumped a bit as his gaze was unwavering on him, noticing that his eyes were two different colors, both unnatural. One was red and the other was purple. Uh, interesting fashion choice? Then again, judging by Steuben’s beige sweater and black pants, he didn’t seem like one to make a daring fashion statement. That made Alex question things. Adding onto a growing suspicion for this entire scenario. Double this, Laurens and Mulligan stepped forward and took Alex’s arm. 

“C’mon, I’ll explain outside.” Steuben clicked his tongue to catch their attention before they could open the apartment door. 

“Who is that?” Mulligan hissed through his teeth and Laurens looked at Burr expectantly. 

“Alexander Hamilton?” Steuben raised an eyebrow and mockingly smiled. 

“Oh, thanks Mr. Burr! Now I know exactly who this man in your apartment is, even though I’ve never seen him before!” The sarcasm was real. Burr held his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. 

“He’s a human?” Okay, what the hell? Alex’s face paled and he swayed a bit, his heart rate jumping to at  _ least  _ five times what it was. Mulligan put his arm around him to pull him out of the room and into the small passage between the kitchen and the front door. Laurens

“Dude, I know you’re panicking right now, but I can explain everything, I promise.” No, no he couldn’t- “I know you think that I can’t, but I can.” Alex wanted to leave. He wanted to punch this guy square in the nose and run away- “Also, even if you wanted to punch me and run away, you can’t-” His freckles. That’s what was weird about them. They were  _ changing color _ -

“WHAT THE  _ FUCK  _ IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Alex screamed this, making each of the four people in the room jump. Steuben’s glare just hardened and his hands curled into fists. 

“Mr. Mulligan, Mr. Laurens, deal with him, outside. Now.” The two of them nodded, each grabbing one of Alex’s arm and pulling him out of the door Mulligan opened. Alex was gonna run. Once they stepped out, he was just gonna run. Laurens’s grip tightened. 

“Alex, don’t run-”

“Are you a mind reader?! Is that what you are?” He half-screamed half-asked at Laurens, entirely rhetorically, but he got an answer. 

“Yes, uh, actually?” Alex’s jaw fell open and his heart skipped a beat, but honestly- why was he even surprised that these nutjobs weren’t human. “Please, don’t pass out, that’s happened too often.” Alex opened his mouth to ask for clarification, but Mulligan stopped him. 

“We’ll explain everything soon, jus’ relax until then. You’re still hungover, remember?” Maybe that’s why everything was so weird. Maybe he was still passed out? Maybe this was his subconscious trying to scare him into waking up? He tried, but the grip the two of them had on his arm felt too real. Even in the most vivid dream possible, he was thinking to clearly and he had too much groundness in the situation for it to be created in his mind. Instead of panicking, Alex took a few deep breaths, in a weird pattern that he hadn’t before, but it worked much better than before. He felt entirely unprompted to do so. This was definitely his subconscious saying “fuck it, let’s change everything up, everything else has gone to shit”. 

Alex glanced around to look where they were going, but instead of walking down the hall, they knocked on the door across the way from Burr’s front one. 

“Wait, where are we going?” Alex stretched his arm as they both realized he wasn’t going to run (Laurens probably just read his mind, because apparently he could do that). 

“The mezzanine,” Laurens sorely knocked on the door again. 

“Wow, thanks! I totally know what you mean.” Mulligan snorted. 

“Nice sarcasm.” Laurens knocked again. Mulligan continued. “But, yeah, the mezzanine is just a lounge that everyone calls ‘the mezzanine’ because it, uh, I don’t know, it sounds cool?” He tried. He turned to the door, raising an eyebrow. “Why aren’t they opening the door?” Laurens was banging on the door at this point. 

“I don’t know, dammit, guys! Open the door!” As he said this, the door swung open. Despite the small, apartment door they saw, it opened like a large one that was twice it’s weight. The person who came out looked like they must have had trouble, as they looked four feet tall. 

“John, really? You know you have to tell us you’re at the door, we can’t hear the knocking.” Her skin was a dark purple and her cheeks and joints an iridescent fuchsia. She hovered very faintly off the ground, her glassy wings trembling behind her. Alex closed his eyes and took more breaths to keep himself from losing it again. This was so  _ weird _ . “Also-” Her gaze fell to Alex. “Who’s that?” John grimaced and pulled the girl outside the door, making sure the door was propped open with his foot. 

“His names Hamilton, he’s a human.” The girl gasped and opened her mouth, but John held up his hands. “I know, I know, but Burr brought him in, he hasn’t explained it, but he’s fine. He didn’t pass out when he found out, and he seems cool. Before we come in, can you go explain to everyone? I don’t want to cause too much of a commotion.” The girl let out a resigned sigh and nodded. 

“Fine. Want me to get you guys the booth?” 

“Yeah,” The girl’s eyes widened exasperatedly and she rushed back in the room, shutting it behind her. “That’s Martha, she’s a fairy. I haven’t come through this door in a while, she’s probably pissed.” Alex looked at him, confused. Before he could even ask, Laurens answered the question. “The ‘knocking thing’? Basically this door doesn’t detect knocking, I don’ remember why-”

“The size proportions don’t carry the contact sound, only the voice.” Mulligan clarified. Laurens glared at him, but grinned nonetheless.   
“Thanks, _Hercules_. But yeah, what he said. And when you talk, the volume’s, like, multiplied by four, I think. Again, I dunno why- Mulligan, don’t do it- the spell that’s on the door to make it appear bigger only on the other side also magnifies the sound waves from your voice. Or somethin’ like that.” Mulligan scoffed at Laurens’s explanation. 

“Y’know, you sounded actually pretty smart before you added that at the end. Oh, it’s because you were reading my mind and then actually started talking.” Alex giggled, but Laurens glared at both of them. 

“Y’know,” He was imitating Mulligan’s voice, very poorly. “You sounded really awesome for a moment, but then you opened your mouth, so shut up.” Mulligan smiled at him and Laurens smiled back, entirely reluctantly. Were they together? They actually would have- “Alex, I swear to god, shut the hell up.” 

“What’d he say?”

“He thought we were together.” Mulligan snorted. 

“He wishes,” Laurens crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, but the door opened again before he could talk back. Martha came back out, her wings fluttering a bit more frantically. 

“Um, they said bring him in, but they’re really skeptical. They want to see Burr.” She twirled her fingers together nervously. “Angelica doesn’t want him to be here, and Price is really angry at Burr, so I don’t know if Burr should come down or not…” Mulligan shrugged. 

“Well, Steuben’s with him in his room because he’s doing something wrong, I dunno, but he isn’t coming.” Martha nodded waving them in. 

“Just, uh, keep him calm and don’t argue with them, John? Please?” He gaped at her. 

“Wha- You just assume I’m gonna get in a fight?” Martha raised her eyebrows.

“Yes, I do. You should know this. With your telepathy, and all.” Laurens mocked her expression, but nonetheless walked in the room. Alex looked around at the room, impressed. 

There was a large fireplace on one wall, the chimney decorated with hundreds of pictures that Alex was too far away to see. The room had incredibly high ceilings, an elaborate chandelier was hanging down in the middle. Alex took another glance at the fireplace, his eyebrows raising involuntarily at the fact that the fire was glowing a bright blue color. After staring for a few more seconds, he saw that it was changing colors. Nice. On one wall, there was a large bookcase that spanned from the floor to the ceiling, a tall ladder leaning against it. Scattered around the room were tables, most of them filled. 

“Alex,” Mulligan grabbed his arm, lightly. “See that table?” He pointed to one of the most crowded one, all of their heads turned to them. Well, Alex. 

“Yeah,” Martha stepped away from them, going to the table and sitting down. 

“Ok, so ghost-eyes over there who’s glaring at you is Angelica. I would advise not talkin’ to her until she’s calmed down ‘bout the whole human thing.” Alex nervously shifted under Angelica’s gaze, her pupil-less eyes narrowed. Why did she hate-

“She doesn’t trust them. She follows human news and criticizes it. She’s got precognition, so don’t try and trick her, she  _ will  _ beat you up.” 

“Thanks, Laurens.” Honestly, at first it was annoying, but Laurens’s telepathy was proving to be pretty useful. 

“Price doesn’t like Burr, he doesn’t say why, but he could do anything and he’ll be mad at him for it. Everyone else is probably just surprised to see a human here. The last human brought on here was Sally, and she came on like almost a year ago, right?” Mulligan explained this once they got to the table that Laurens led them to, pushed into the corner of the, uh, mezzanine? Laurens didn’t answer it. 

“Uh, Laurens?” He turned to look at him, confused. 

“Huh?” 

“Is it called the mezzanine?” Alex crossed his arms and rested his head in his hands. Laurens let out a small ‘oh’ and then chuckled. 

“Oh, yeah, it is. When I’m in rooms with a lotta people, I can’t read minds without focusing really hard. Too many thought streams to process.” Alex nodded, understanding, and Mulligan continued. 

“But, yeah. I just dunno if they’re ready to accept that Burr, of all people, brought a human in here.” Laurens and Mulligan sat facing Alex, expectantly. “So, uh, whaddya want to know?” Alex grimaced, not really knowing where to start. 

“I dunno, I’ve got a lot of questions. Uh, how many humans are here- wait, uh, what is this?” He waved his arms around him, gesturing to the entire room. “Exactly?” Laurens nudged Mulligan, indicating that he answer. 

“Well, it’s not really a definite “thing”,” He made air quotes. “It’s like a large complex of rooms and stuff. They aren’t really grounded to real physics or reality. Like what you saw with that door, it looks different on either side. You can get anywhere from anywhere, there aren’t any real paths.” Alex nodded, still pretty overwhelmed, but Mulligan was explaining it really well. 

“How do you get anywhere, then?” Laurens answered this time. 

“Basically, if you have the intention of going somewhere, that’s where you go. Like what happened there. Because I wanted to go to the mezzanine, my voice carried into the mezzanine and the door opened into it. If I didn’t know where I was going, the door would’ve opened into any random room.” 

“So, like do you have to ask for the door to open every time?” Laurens thought for a moment, but then gestured for Mulligan to answer instead.

“No. You catch on pretty easily to which ones you need to ask for entrance for, but most people just ask in case. Well, actually, just try and open the door. If it’s locked, it obviously won’t open, and you gotta ask. So yeah, while you’re still new here, just try to open each door when you get to it, and then ask if you can’t. Make sense?” Alex nodded. 

“How many humans are here?” 

“A lot, actually. It’s just crazy because they don’t come in anymore. I don’t really know why, the authority keeps it pretty under wraps, but things work out so we don’t question it.” Alex snorted. 

“Y’know, that sounds a lot like every other dictatorship and that’s ever happened in history-”

“Ah,  _ human  _ history. Nothin’ about the supernatural.” Laurens’s face turned to a smug expression, which Mulligan scoffed at. 

“You know  _ I  _ said that first when Abigail came in. Abigail is another human, by the way,” 

“I figured. So, how did this whole thing start?” Alex was asking the big questions now. Laurens hissed through his teeth. Mulligan waved him off and went to start explaining. Mulligan obviously was more knowledgeable of the more technical side of things. Laurens seemed to just go with it. 

“Again, it’s kept pretty under wraps, but it’s not hard to piece together. A long time ago, when supernaturals were just running around the world and causing a lot of trouble, y’know, they were blamed for witchcraft and sorcery and shit like that, so they all came together to make this place. We usually call them the founders, but it’s not an official name or anything. Because it’s not grounded with reality, we can all use our powers and not mess anything up.” 

“But you guys don’t have that crazy of powers, uh, come to think of it, do you have a power?” Alex looked expectantly at Mulligan. 

“Yeah, I have empathy. Basically I can, um, this sounds weird out loud, god, I can sense other people’s emotions and I can control them if I want to.” Alex shifted a bit. 

“What am I feeling now?” 

“Well, you’re overwhelmed, stressed out, and still really hungover and pissed about this whole situation, but you’re willing to give it a try.” Alex narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t ever do that again, that’s fucking creepy.” Mulligan and Laurens laughed, but they continued prompting Alex to ask more questions. “How old are you guys?”

“Well,” Laurens was answering this time. “No one’s actually born here, you just come in. People are sent out on missions, you could say, to go find other supernaturals or humans to bring in here, and they just stay that age forever. That’s why most people here are so young. The people sent out hang out with people their age, those are the people they’re able to get back. The only reason we keep track of time is for organization reasons.” There was a beat before Laurens spoke again. “Oh, I’m twenty-two. Mulligan’s twenty-six. And you’re, uh, how old are you?” 

“Aren’t you supposed to be able to read my mind?” Laurens scoffed. 

“I’m a mind reader but I can’t find out information from people. Ask Eliza if you want clairvoyance.” Another beat. “Eliza’s another superna-”

“I assumed,” Alex looked around. “The mezzanine is kept pretty nice, huh? Who runs the place?” Mulligan took the reigns again. 

“Well, King G. runs the whole place, but people don’t see him much unless he likes you,” Laurens smirked at him, but Mulligan just slapped his arm with the back of his hand and continued. “The staff are all humans who got in here in some way without a supernatural escort. Basically, if they get in here through one of the faulty entrances and want to stay, they have to work their way in. Usually it’s, uh, I don’t know, three, four years as staff?” Alex choked. 

“What?” Mulligan waved his hands in front of his face, almost like he was swatting at something in front of him. 

“They aren’t like slaves. Well, some of them are kinda- shut  _ up _ , Laurens-, but that’s only if they were really resistant at first. Even then, they all get their own apartments, all their meals are provided there- wait, it sounds like we have to hunt for our food.” Laurens and Mulligan both laughed at this, but Mulligan regained himself to continue. “Like, they’re just provided it at their apartments. They’re also given apartments. Like, because you haven’t been registered in with the King you won’t have a place to stay. You’ll probably just bunk with one of us until we get you in his records-”

“Who’s the King, why does Laurens keep making that face, and why can’t we just register me now?” Mulligan opened his mouth to speak, but he had to stop Laurens from making the face Alex was referring to. He had a dumb smirk on his face and kept raising his eyebrows up and down, which Alex wasn’t taking as a good sign.

“King G.? King George, uh, well he’s the third in his family, but he doesn’t really talk about it much, so we assume he’s probably lying. Laurens is just a bitch, and we should probably wait for the initial “there’s a human” reaction to die down before we take you to see him.” 

Alex nodded. “How many people are here?” 

“Oh, geeze, a lot. Like I don’t know everyone here. Like Herc said, this place isn’t grounded to reality so it can go anywhere in the world. I don’t really know for sure. You’d have to ask the King, he knows. But I wouldn’t bother him for things like that.”

“Well, uh, I don’t really have any questions more, except for Burr, but he’s busy, so I guess, uh, I don’t really know if I have anything else to ask.” Laurens smiled. 

“Great! Can we start showing you around?” Alex shrugged. 

“I mean, sure, but-”

“Awesome, come on!” Laurens was already out of his seat when Mulligan grabbed his arm and stopped him. 

“Where are we going?” Laurens crossed his arms. 

“Well  _ you  _ won’t have a problem with it, I can assure you that, good sir.” Mulligan raised an eyebrow, thoroughly unimpressed. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t want you taking Hamilton to go see, I dunno, Jefferson or Lafayette, y’know. They’re kind of overwhelming.” Laurens hissed, casting a sideways glance at Angelica, who had stood up and was making some rude gestures at him, mouthing something that Alex couldn’t tell from this distance. Laurens flipped her off and went back to Mulligan. 

“Come on. He handled this pretty well, so why not them?” Mulligan sighed and turned to Alex, who was sitting quietly and observing this whole thing. 

“Jefferson’s an angel, it’s ironic, I’m warning you now, and Lafayette’s a demon. That may not sit well-” 

“I can handle it.” They both turned to Alex. Laurens thought for a moment. 

“Mulligan, you know I didn’t mean at the same time. Jefferson invited Sally in and Lafayette is still angry at him for it. Him and Angelica were talking about it with Madison. Mads agrees.” Mulligan raised his eyebrows. 

“Wait, Madison is  _ disagreeing  _ with Jefferson? How have I not heard about this?” 

“Yeah, but they only recently got all together. That’s why a lot of people don’t know about them and Jefferson. Remember, Sally stayed with Jefferson for a while. She didn’t want to see anyone. And then it took a while for people to see that she wasn’t happy, that’s when Lafayette said something about it.” 

“Wait, are humans brought in here unwillingly?” Alex spoke up. Mulligan nodded, his expression hardening. 

“Most are. It’s easiest. Basically, the charm that the founders put on this place prevents humans from coming in, even accidentally. Of course, this is pretty faulty as a lot of the entrances are faulty and because this place spans across the entire world. Not directly, but like there are a lot of entrances in the US, a lot in the UK, and then a bunch scattered around. But, uh, yeah. The charm prevents humans from coming in, so the guys on missions either have to get them under the influence, like you, or they have to be a hundred percent willing to go. And, y’know, it’s sometimes hard to convince people to come into a place full of non-human supernaturals.” Mulligan stood up to stand next to Laurens once he was done explaining. 

“Mulligan, should we take him to see Laf? I saw him a few weeks ago with Adrianne, but they’ve been pretty rocky lately and Laf said they were taking a bit of a break. You know what that means-” 

“Laurens, shut up.” Mulligan blushed, making Alex and Laurens chuckle. 

“Wait, does Mulligan like L-” 

“No, I don’t. We just had an on and off thing for a few years and Laurens thinks it’s still relevant.” Laurens scoffed. 

“It’s so still relevant, because you still like him. Come on, no way you let someone ride you that much-”

“Laurens,  _ shut the fuck up _ !” Alex laughed, but almost felt bad when he saw how distressed Mulligan was about Lafayette. “We should introduce Hamilton to him, though. He’s fine with humans, it’s Jefferson and Burr he has a problem with.” Laurens nodded in agreement. 

“You wanna meet a demon?” 

“Sure,” 

“Les’ go,” Alex stood up, pushing in the chair he was sitting at. Laurens waved, visibly making fun of Angelica, to the table that he had pointed out at the beginning, nervously putting his hand down when the man he had pointed out as Price stood up. Alex almost wasn’t phased by the fact that he was quite see-through and he hovered off the ground. 

“Mulligan, where are you taking him?” His voice was echo-y, but the annoyance and heavy british accent was still all there. 

“None of your business, Price-”

“Laurens,” Mulligan stopped him. “We’re taking him to meet Lafayette. Why do you want to know?” Laurens narrowed his eyes and his freckles- Alex almost forgot that, his freckles changed colors when he was reading minds- turned into a more wispy grey. Notably, the same color as Price’s eyes. He needed to keep up with that. 

“Look, Lafayette doesn’t like humans, but if  _ we  _ brought him a human, he’d be fine with it.” Laurens smirked smugly, making Price’s eyes widen with offense. 

“You know, someday you’re gonna read the wrong person’s mind and you’re gonna be traumatized.” He warned, but Laurens only blew him off. 

“Oh please, you? Dirty thoughts? Sorry, Price, I don’t think you’ve had enough contact with the opposite gender to think of anything remotely dirty.” Price opened his mouth to retaliate, but he continued. “Uh, huh. I know you’re bi, but you have more of a shot with Theodosia than any guy here.” 

“Theodosia’s lesbian,you wanker.” Price pointed out. Laurens’s face fell and his jaw fell open, mockingly making a surprised face. 

“No shit. I was offending you,  _ you wanker _ .” He was imitating his accept, terribly.    
“No one wants to fuck a wraith-”

“Laurens, layoff.” Mulligan put his hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing circles into his skin to calm him. “Price, you know better than to egg him on-”

“He was offending me! You expect me to just sit back-”

“Well, maybe if you minded your own  _ damn business _ , we wouldn’t even be here!” Laurens yelled, his cheeks and ears turning bright red with frustration. Mulligan shushed him and turned him away from the group and Price, glaring at him. Angelica stood up at this point, walking over to Price. Before she could say anything, Mulligan spoke. 

“Angelica, leave it.” Mulligan had his arm around Lauren’s shoulders with one arm, and he took Hamilton’s wrist with his other. Once they got to the door, Mulligan stopped. “Sorry about that,” 

“It’s fine,” Alex awkwardly stood as Mulligan turned to Laurens and whispered a few things to him. “Uh, are you, um, are you okay?” Alex leaned over to look at Laurens. He nodded, throwing his head back and taking a deep breath, in and out. 

“Fucking, stupid-ass anger issues, and fucking Price likes to bother me and,” He took a few more deep breaths, doing the same pattern he did earlier with the coffee machine, assisted by Mulligan. “Yeah,” He looked embarrassed by this, but Alex genuinely didn’t care. He understood how it would be frustrating. “Thanks, Hamilton.” 

“What? Oh, uh, yeah,” His freckles were a dark brown. Did they-

“Yeah, depending on the eye color of whoever’s mind I’m reading, the freckles change. It’s annoying,” 

“I dunno, it’s cool.” 

Laurens smiled and took a few more deep breaths. “Thanks,”

Alex _almost_ forgot about his hangover. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you so much for reading!  
> Again, lots of information in this chapter, so please. If you have any questions for clarification, just comment below!  
> More characters are coming in the next chapter, so just hold on, I promise.  
> I'm still not sure of what I want for my schedule, but bear with me until then.  
> Thank you so much for reading! Please comment any thoughts, I love reading them!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lafayette comes in in this one (lots of translate French, so please forgive any mistakes).   
> But yeah, Lafayette comes in and it's all good ;)
> 
> Not as much pure information, but a few more characters. Alex is adapting pretty darn well for a pretty not normal situation.

Mulligan had tried opening Lafayette’s door a few times, but it wasn’t opening. Laurens was obviously trying not to get frustrated as they repeatedly tried to open it. Luckily, the people sitting around the rest of the mezzanine didn’t seem to care much, but Price and Angelica kept glaring in their direction. 

“Okay, maybe he’s busy? Let’s just try and go to where he is.” Mulligan shrugged, thinking for a moment, and then opening the door. 

“Wait, how did that work?” Alex piped up as they walked through the frame into a large library, it looked like. 

“If you have a certain person in mind and if wherever they are isn’t locked, you can go in. Looks like Laf’s in the library right now, so we should go find him.” Alex looked around. It would be more difficult than Laurens made it seem. From where they stood, he was looking down a long aisle, branches of bookcases stemming off of it. He didn’t even know how complex it was, but it looked very much so from where they are. 

“Um, how are we-”

“We’ll just yell for him.” Laurens cupped his hands around his mouth to start yelling, but Mulligan grabbed his wrists. 

“Dude, remember what happened last time?” They were whispering. Probably because they were in a library. Laurens groaned quite loudly, making a few heads pop out from the long span of bookcases to look at them. 

“Yeah, but we don’t even know if they’re on shift right now.” 

Mulligan scoffed. “Uh huh, Paine isn’t on shift right now. They’re never  _ not  _ on shift. They hate you enough already, so we should just go and actually look for Lafayette instead of screaming until he answers.” 

“Who’s Paine? What happened “last time”?” Mulligan glared at Laurens, who just shrugged.   
“We were looking for Lafayette, again. This time, Laurens thought it would be a good idea to start yelling Lafayette’s name over and over, his full name, until he answered. Only, Paine heard, of course they did, and kicked us out and specifically locked the door because they didn’t want us in for almost a month. Luckily, the library’s unlocked now, but we’re still on terrible terms with Paine.” Mulligan chuckled. “So, uh, maybe we shouldn’t scream.” 

“What’s his full name?” Laurens crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. 

“Paine?  _ Their  _ full name is Paine, they don’t use a first na-”

“He means Lafayette, Laurens.” Mulligan started walking down the aisle, looking into every branch off to look for Lafayette. Alex followed him. 

“Oh, well, that makes more sense.” 

“Why didn’t you just read my mind? Don’t you, uh, do that?” Alex questioned, turning to look at Laurens as he stepped next to him. 

“Well, I have to consciously be reading someone’s mind, and I wasn’t feeling the need to read your mind right now. You’re not that special to warrant constant mind reading.” He giggled. “I’m kidding, y’know. I just get tired sometimes.” 

As they walked, Alex realized just how big this library was. There were two levels to each shelf, a ladder going up to a small floor, another ladder above that. There weren’t many people there, but that was slightly calming. The library had the stereotypical book smell, but it was magnified due to the sheer amount of all the books. Mulligan looked completely set on finding Lafayette, but to no avail. 

“Laurens, honestly, that screaming seems like a good idea. Should we go ask Paine if they’ve seen him?” Alex jogged a bit to catch up with him, looking down each aisle to try and see anyone who looked remotely like how he thought a demon would look. Then again, from what he had seen so far, even Price looked normal. Other than the obvious transparency and discoloration. 

“That actually sounds like a good idea, but I dunno if they wanna see me.” Laurens frowned, but Mulligan just shrugged. 

“Then you won’t go up to them, it’ll just be me and Hamilton. Paine doesn’t even know him-”

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to just have you go?” Laurens stopped and leaned against one of the shelf ends, raising his eyebrow at Mulligan. 

“Whaddya mean?” Mulligan sighed and turned to face him again. 

“Come on.” Laurens scoffed. “You seriously think Paine would gladly help you find your boyfriend-”

“ _ Laurens,”  _

_ “ _ Sorry- but really. They're not gonna help if you have a human with you. They hate humans as much as Martha and Adrienne, if anything, more.” 

“Wait, I thought Martha was tolerant of humans?” Alex stepped out from behind Mulligan. 

“Well this is hard to explain, uh, there are two? Three Marthas here? Yeah, you have Martha Wayles, Jefferson’s official girlfriend even though we all know he's with like four other people- wait, Lafayette. Ok, he can explain it all, so we need to find him to clear more things up about the other people here.” Laurens snorted. “Laf is pretty fond of gossip and shit, so he’s better at talking about people.” 

“Can you stop talking about Lafayette like he’s some fifteen-year-old high school girl? He’s not that low.” Laurens made an ‘aww’ sound, much to Mulligan’s annoyance. 

“First off, you can’t deny that you at least have some form of admiration for him, nor can you deny that that “thing” you guys had is still following you.” Mulligan just glared as he looked for him now. “Second, go ask Paine. I’m tired of looking when we don’t even know if he’s here or not. Go ask Paine and we’ll just, I dunno, stand over here and watch.” He gave Mulligan a little nudge forward. 

“Fine, but if they ask if you’re with me I’m not lying to them.” Mulligan rushed to the end of the long hall and then turned out of view.

“Paine is over in the corner, but we need to be as quiet as possible. They’re a sphinx, so they have enhanced senses. That’s also why we whisper in here and move so slow.” Laurens moved to walk alongside one of the bookcases, dropping his hand every time the shelf ended and putting it back on when it began. 

Alex snorted, confused. “Wait, so you started screaming for Lafayette in here one time?  _ And  _ the librarian has enhanced senses?” 

“Okay, don’t call them a librarian, they hate that. But, uh, yeah. We were all stressed and wanted to grab a drink with him, but we couldn’t find him, so we started yelling for him. You know the rest of the story.” They reached the end of the hall where Mulligan had turned, so they leaned over the end of the shelf to peer over at Paine. 

They were quite the sight. They had an elegant, navy blue turban wrapped around their head that draped onto their back and chest. They were laying on a pedestal of some sorts, surrounded by a large ink pad and stamp, and two large piles of books. They appeared to be stamping in due dates in the book, Alex could just infer this as he had actually been a librarian before. It, uh, it wasn’t fun. Before Mulligan even gently tapped the small bell on their desk. Paine looked up and smiled, slyly and all teeth. 

“Good morning, Mr. Mulligan. What brings you here without your, uh, what shall i call it, posse?” Their voice sent chills up Alex’s spine. They had a middle eastern accent, where exactly Alex couldn’t tell, and it was smooth and sultry, but Alex didn’t like it one bit. 

“I was actually, uh, wondering if you had seen Lafayette?” Paine narrowed their eyes (which were a glowing reddish orange), annoyed. 

“I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Mulligan, I’m afraid I don’t know who that-”

“Gilbert, Marquis de Lafayette, your honor-”

“Don’t interrupt me, Mr. Mulligan. I’m afraid you’ve already wasted my precious time, so I’ll have to have you hurry up or leave my presence.” Mulligan gave a small bow in apology. 

“I-I, uh, forgive me, your honor.” Paine looked Mulligan up and down, crossing their large paws in front of them. Jesus, he was-

“Yeah, I know. Hardcore,” Laurens whispered, quieter than ever. Even still, Paine’s ears twitched and they looked up. Alex and Laurens ducked out of view. 

“Excuse me, I hope that I don’t have any eavesdroppers in my paws.” They said that as a warning, it seemed. “Please continue, Mr. Mulligan.” Laurens held his hand out to Alex’s chest when he tried to lean back out, holding his finger up to his lips. 

“Your honor, I was wondering if you saw Gilbert, Marquis de Lafayette pass through here at any point.” Paine gave a small hum of approval. 

“Yes, in fact I have. He hasn’t checked out anything yet with me, and he’s quite trustworthy with his books, so I would assume he’s still here. He’s on the second level, I’m sure of that. I think he’s on the right side, maybe check aisle seven. Those are the human language books, and you know how intrigued he is with those.” 

“Thank you, your honor.” Alex could hear Mulligan stepping away, the soft padding of his boots against the ground. Laurens separated himself off of the shelf, looking around to find wherever Paine had directed them to.

“God, I hate them. They make me feel so dumb, I hate it.” Mulligan mumbled, his gaze downcast. Laurens shouldered him playfully. 

“That’s ‘cuz you are dumb, Herc.” After he realized that he probably made a mistake, Alex could tell by the changing of his freckles from their normal iridescent plum to a solid, royal purple. “Look, I didn’t mean that, uh, I’m really sorry.”

“It’s, uh, it’s fine, just don’t do it again, alright?” Laurens slapped his back, seemingly pretty hard, but Mulligan didn’t seem phased. 

“No problem, bud. But I am sorry-”

“ Ma, ma, je crois que vous serez en mesure de gérer vous-mêmes sans moi. De toute évidence, j'ai tort.” They all stopped, Laurens and Mulligan simultaneously turning towards the voice. 

Laurens groaned, throwing his head back and twirling a strand of his hair with his finger. “You bastard, you know we don’t speak French.” 

“Um, I do? If that’s important, at all?” Laurens turned to him, expectantly. 

“Well? What did he say?” 

Alex thought for a moment. “Uh, he thought we’d be better off without him.” The three of them all looked up at the small platform, Mulligan and Laurens’s faces breaking into grins as a figure stepped forward. 

“Not exactly, but I am impressed,  ma chérie.” Out of all the people Alex had seen so far, Lafayette has gotten the most of a reaction from Alex.  _ Fuck _ . 

He looked like a demon, that was for sure. His hair was pulled back into a tight bun, dark, red-black, curly hair framing his face. He had dark red eyes, which would have been off-putting, but the rest of him was far too amazing to care one bit. His bone structure was incredible- 

“Hamilton?” Laurens’s mouth was open in a wide smile. “He’s taken, stop gawking at him!” Alex’s cheeks burst into a red heat and he covered his mouth, entirely embarrassed. 

“I just got here, now you wanna embarrass me in front of everyone?” The other three men with him started giggling, but Laurens waved his hand to signal that they stop. 

“Nah, it’s fine. Most people are in awe the first time they see ol’ Laffy Taffy here.” Lafayette glared, fighting a smile at the nickname. “But _ bone structure _ ? Seriously? That’s a first.” 

“It is entirely understandable, la plupart des gens ont la même réaction.” He winked. 

“Guys, is this gonna be a thing? Laf, you’re chill with us, but don’t start using French all the time now that Hamilton knows it.” Mulligan chuckled, moving to climb up the ladder to Lafayette. Laurens followed suite, but Alex stayed because Lafayette held out his hand, leaning over the rail to look closer at Alex. 

“My, my, who may you be?” Mulligan made a short sound of protest, clambering to get up the ladder faster. He rushed over to Lafayette, cupping around his mouth and whispering in his ear. They were already being quiet, Alex just assumed this was another precaution because of Paine only a few aisles away. When Mulligan pulled away, Lafayette’s eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was twisted. “I see. That is no problem, as you probably explained to him, I only have a problem when human acceptation is inhumane and unfair. What was this situation,  ma chérie?” Alex opened his mouth to respond, before he realized Lafayette was talking to Mulligan.

Laurens waved for Alex to start climbing up the ladder before Lafayette stopped him. “We will come down there, we can show you around more.” Alex stood there, rocking on his feet, waiting for them to all reach the floor. Once they did, Alex noticed the four or five books under his arm and a rather unnatural, wispy cloud of black smoke surrounding his hands and feet. 

“It’s, uh, it’s nice, uhm, it’s nice to, um, sorry, hah-” 

“Why are you so nervous, Alexander?” Lafayette asked, stepped forward to him. He was tall. He was really tall. Mulligan was tall, and he seemed short compared to him. What was he, six-foot-something, surely-

“He’s six-four, Hamilton.” Laurens piped up from behind Lafayette, only making Hamilton blush more. This was going to be an issue with how much Alex thought about… life, and stuff. 

“Thanks, Laurens.” He looked back to Lafayette, craning his neck to look him in the eyes. “Uh, I dunno, you’re just a little, uh, you’re a lot to, um, handle? I guess?” Laurens and Mulligan made some very suggestive sounds behind them, which Lafayette just scoffed at. 

“They are immature, no? Well, I must say, Alexander, you have nothing to worry about. I have no ill intentions with you, all honesty.” He leaned down to look him more directly in the face. “Goodness gracious, humans are  _ exquisite _ , do you not agree?” Lafayette lifted a hand, gently holding Alex’s face with one hand. He gently ran his finger over his cheekbone a few times. Alex shuddered at the touch. His fingertips were unnaturally hot. 

“Laf, c’mon, he’s uncomfortable.” Lafayette shook his head, smiling at Alex, but still shaking his head at Mulligan. 

“You don’t know that, Hercules.” Laurens and Mulligan scoffed. 

“I’m pretty sure I do know. Y’know, that’s kind of my superpower, if you haven’t noticed.” Lafayette let out a small squeak of excitement, his fingertips heating up even more.  _ Ow _ . These were gonna leave marks. 

“My, my,  _ my _ ,  _ my, my _ , you are pretty.”

“Can you, uh…” Alex nervously brought his hand up to Lafayette’s wrist. “Not, touch my face, uh, please? It’s, um, it’s making me uncomfortable. Like, what, what Mulligan said.” Lafayette stood up and took his fingers from Alex’s face. 

Alex reached up to touch his cheeks, slightly terrified at the rough skin that met his fingertips. Well, he actually burned him. That wasn’t fun. 

“Laf, you gave him finger hickeys.” Alex choked on his own breath, laughing. 

“Finger hickeys?! Is that what you call them?” Lafayette bit his lip and grinned, leaning against the aisle end. 

“Oui. I get excited and I like touching people.  _ Pas sexuellement,  _ of course. Because of my supernatural state, my fingertips heat up. There is quite a problem with that, especially in certain situations with,” Lafayette made a sideways glance at Mulligan, who just rolled his eyes and pulled his beanie a little farther onto his head. “ _ Certain _ people. Of course,  ceux sont un peu plus sexuelle, je dois dire .” 

“Just admit it, Mulligan-”

“My god, Laurens, drop it.” Lafayette frowned at Mulligan, who was struggling to keep a smile off of his face. 

“As you can see, me and my friend here have had something in the past. Unimportant now, so we can leave. Anyway, I have quite a few people I want you to meet.” There were a few mumbles from Laurens and Mulligan, but they conclusively ended up turning and walking to the door on the other side of where they were standing. Lafayette and Alex followed them, but Lafayette took his arm. Alex was concerned his sweatshirt would catch on fire, but Lafayette seemed to have done this long enough to be able to control it. 

“Although, mon amie, I will say it is not completely unimportant. I want to disclose this information to you. Laurens knows. Feel free to torment Hercules about about this all you want.” Alex snorted.   
“Seriously? You’re pursuing him, and you think the only way to get him to like you back is tormenting him?” 

Lafayette hummed, grinning widely. “Trust me, he loves it more than he lets on. He will admit it someday. Until then, you should just let him know that my feelings are still as fervent as they were three years ago.” Lafayette’s whisper was quieter than any of them have been so far and he leaned down to Alex’s ear. 

“He still has the scars.” 

Laurens opened the door, looking back at them, letting Mulligan pass him and go into the room. 

His freckles were glowing a bright red. 

______________________________________________________________________

 

“I never checked the books out with Paine.” Lafayette whispered, shakily dropping the books he had under his arm on his bed. 

Lafayette’s room was much more extravagant than Burr’s. It had a large bed, actually in the center of the room, sunken into the ground a bit. The rest of his room was pretty interesting, but pleasing. There were lights rimming the square ceiling, set to a dim purple. Other than that, it seemed like a pretty awesome room. Lafayette seemed too stressed to enjoy it at the moment. 

“ _ Seigneur,  _ Paine is going to kill me! Je suis morte, je suis morte-”

“Laf, pull yourself together. Paine knows you’re a good guy, just explain that you forgot. Jesus, it’s not that big of a deal.” Laurens stepped forward and jumped onto Lafayette’s bed, leaning against the edge and tapping his finger on the hardwood surrounding the bed. “Anyway, you’ve done it before. Just say that Laurens and Mulligan distracted you and you forgot.”

Lafayette blew a raspberry, leaning against one of the stabilizer poles, and put his hand to his forehead. 

“Yeah, sure. They will just get Steuben to tell them what happened.” Mulligan stepped forward to step down into the bed and sat next to Laurens, picking up one of the books he had taken and dropped on the bed. 

“English? Laf, you know how to speak English fine. Why’dja have to learn it more?” Lafayette pointed exasperatedly as Mulligan spoke. 

“Exactly. I do not even know what you meant there, easily at least. I do not know how to use contractions. I do not know most non-offensive slang-”

“We teach you slang. We use it all the time-”

Lafayette interrupted Laurens. “I said  _ non _ -offensive. I am sorry, but you two are not the best teachers.” Mulligan chuckled and threw the book down.

“Y’know, if you wanted to learn contractions, you should’ve just asked. They’re not too hard, honestly.” Laurens flicked Mulligan’s cheek.

“Dude, this was about you not being killed by Paine, not another time we say we’re gonna teach Laf more English, but never do.” Laurens picked up all the books again and set them out of the bed and on the floor. “Just, before we start showing Alex around, you can stop by and act like you never left.”

“Fine,” Lafayette stepped away from the pole and leaned down to pick up the books he had thrown down mere minutes ago. “We will go to Mr. James Madison first, one, because I have become rather fond of his friend Dolley and she likes humans. She would be entirely okay with meeting Alexander, and Madison wanted to talk to me about some issues he has been having with Thomas. Who else would want to meet our friend, hm?” Lafayette held out his hand to Mulligan, who ignored him and stood up by himself. Laurens took his hand, though, smiling at him, and then winking. His freckles turned royal purple and he turned his face away so Mulligan couldn’t see, but Alex couldn’t miss the grin on Lafayette’s face after making eye contact with him. 

“Stop giggling, you two, let’s go.” Alex moved to walk next to Mulligan as he was talking, letting Lafayette and Laurens stand in front of them and whisper to each other. “Sorry about them, Hamilton.” 

“Oh, uh, it’s fine.” Lafayette opened the second door in the room, going right back into the library. “I guess it’s pretty hard to hide your feelings with a friend who reads minds.” 

Mulligan laughed. “You don’t even know. The first time I started having a crush on Lafayette, he found out in less than a day.” His voice was incredibly soft, but Laurens’s freckles weren’t any different color. “But I know when Laurens as a crush, too. I can sense others emotions, so it’s pretty self-explanatory.” They walked into the library again and Lafayette walked away from them to check out the four books, waving them over to the other door. 

“Honestly, you guys need to start talking quieter. I can hear this entire thing.” Laurens chuckled, crossing his arms and putting his weight on one foot. Mulligan made an open armed shrug, completely unapologetically. 

“Hey, even if we were writing shit down on paper, you could tell. I can’t deny that you have a rather,” He fake coughed, getting a chuckle from Laurens. “ _ Serendipitous _ power.” 

“I don’t know what that means, but you know what, I don’t care enough to read your mind to find out.” Laurens pursed his lips and tightened his ponytail. Mulligan scoffed and hit Hamilton’s shoulder to get his attention. 

“He’s a bit  _ recalcitrant,  _ wouldn’t you say?” Alex didn’t know what he meant, but he nodded along once he saw Laurens frustratedly scoff. 

“That’s, um, that’s pretty rude, don’t you think?” Mulligan laughed again, immediately covering his mouth once he realized how loud he was being. But he continued giggling as he spoke. 

“Sorry, uh, but you don’t even know what that means? I’m pretty sure, at least.” Laurens clicked his tongue, and was obviously fighting with himself. More humorously than anything before, his freckles began to change color in rapid formation. “You havin’ some trouble, J-Laur?”

“That nickname was from years ago, and you agreed not to use it ever again.” His freckles seemed to choose a color as they settled into a solid purple and he stomped his foot and huffed, reminding Alex of a five or six-year-old being told they can’t have the toy they wanted. 

As much as Laurens was trying to be serious, he was fighting back laughter. “Look, Herc, you know I don’t use big words.” Mulligan stepped forward, taking off his beanie and holding it in his hands. 

“Maybe you should crack open a book once and awhile and you’d be able to tell what I’m saying without needing to,” He pulled the beanie over his head, forcing it over Laurens’s eyes. He almost couldn’t finish what he was saying as they were laughing so hard. “Read my mind, you cheater.” Alex didn’t find this very funny, but he didn’t find anything funny. Maybe it was just their dynamic? Or maybe it was just a long story? They have known each other for a while, or at least that’s what Alex had picked up over time.

Laurens tore off the beanie and jumped up to put it lopsided on Mulligan’s head, not struggling at all despite the height difference. Laurens opened his mouth to give a comeback, but Lafayette turned the corner before he could say anything. 

“You should all know, Paine heard everything you two said, and I am nearly positive everyone else in this library could too. Alexander, you are just lucky that you did not say anything, or else they surely would have come out to look.” Lafayette warned, his voice dropping lower when he spoke about Alex. He never stopped walking once he turned the corner, so the three of them were quite startled to have to keep up with him. 

“Wait, is Paine mad that we were talking?” Mulligan asked, his brow creasing with concern. 

“No,” Lafayette shook his head, some of the loose strands of his hair hit Mulligan. “They did not seem too angry about it, but I also saw a letter from the King on their desk.  _ Bon dieu,  _ I think they have been promoted. If they caused trouble, their promotion would be taken away, I think that is how it works. They have been a bit scatterbrained, lately. Then again, even at their most scatterbrained moments, Paine is one of the smartest people I know. Adrienne was at one of the King’s Assemblies and she told me afterwards that Paine has been favored by the King, lately.” Lafayette took a few breaths, as if it was difficult for him to speak so long in English. 

Laurens groaned, smoothing out his t-shirt and leaning on the door they were going to leave out of. “Waitwaitwaitwait, so the King is favoring Paine now?” 

“Yes,” Lafayette nervously shifted. “Well, that is what Adrienne told me, and she is not always the most reliable source.” He pushed past Laurens and opened the door. They were back in the mezzanine. They kept talking as they walked the length of it to the other side. 

“Still. She’s a bitch, but she ain’t stupid-”

“ _ Ne dites pas cela _ , vous savez- ” He stopped himself, his cheeks glowing an unnatural red, highly concentrated in contrast to the normal shade of red that blush would be. Must be the whole demon thing. “Do not say that. Adrienne, she is not  _ une chienne,  _ she just has her moments.” 

Laurens scoffed. “Yeah, sure. You’re in denial about it, Laf. You need to-” 

“John, I would rather not discuss this with our new friend.” After noticing Alex’s uncomfortable look, Lafayette shook his head. “No, no, no, do not worry, Alexander. Adrienne is my wife, we have just grown distant over the years. It is much less of an issue than John is making it.” Alex wasn’t so sure, but Laurens gently touched his shoulder and gave a defeated smiled. 

_Trust me, Laf isn’t lying._ Alex jumped a bit as Laurens’s voice rang out in his head. It was wispy and echo-y, very similar to Price’s. Still, Alex was very panicked. _Don’t panic. Telepathy._ _He would tell us. It’s more Mulligan and I trying to get him to confess. But, I trust Lafayette._ Laurens’s freckles were dark brown. _You can talk back, y’know._

_ Wait, like this?  _ Laurens nodded. 

_ My voice, how it sounds, is how everyone’s thoughts sound in my head.  _ Lafayette had them all stop.  _ Wait. _

“Do you guys want to get something to eat? I am a bit hungry, and I cannot imagine Alexander has had anything to eat since he came here, no?” Mulligan nodded. 

“Yeah, he woke up this morning and he drank, what, two, three sips of coffee? You wanna eat, Hamilton?” Alex shrugged. 

“I guess. I haven’t eaten for a while. Speaking of which, uh, what time is it?” Lafayette thought for a moment and then turned around to one of the tables.

“Adams,” A man turned around. He sat at the table with Angelica and Price, but they didn’t seem to notice him. “Comment êtes-vous ? Vous n'avez pas été autour beaucoup.”

“Wait,” Mulligan and Laurens turned to Alex, confused. “He’s not-”

“Goodness gracious, Alexander, I am just catching up with a friend.” The man looked normal, except for greyish-blue skin, cracked in some places. Very reminiscent of a porcelain doll. 

“Je vais bien. Comment avez-vous et Adrienne été?” Lafayette scoffed at the man- Adams- and put his hands on his hips. 

“Que voulait-elle dire? Hercules et John juste demandé” 

“What did he say about us?” Mulligan asked, staring at Laurens and Alex, shifting his eyes between the two. 

“He just said that you two just asked him about Adrienne.” Lafayette glared at them. 

“Quelle heure est-il?” Adams looked at his watch. 

“Douze quarante-deux.” Lafayette smiled. 

“Thanks!”

“Pas de problème, homme” Adams turned around again, going to talk to Martha, who was preoccupied fixing her head wrap. 

“Twelve forty-two,” Lafayette turned back to them. “So, we can probably go pick up Madison and Dolley? Would that work?” 

“I’m down. Is Madison better? If not, I dunno if we should bother him.” Mulligan stood next to Lafayette, rubbing the back of his neck. Laurens piped up. 

“Yeah, I was with him a few days ago. He needed some help with a few papers that he was writing.”

Mulligan snorted. “For what?” 

“Remember, he takes human classes. He’s thinking about quitting, though.” Lafayette waved them off. 

“That does not matter, we should just go to his room and then find Dolley. She does not spend much time with him, does she?” They all began walking towards the door. 

“They were never dating. There was a rumor, but Madison was too devoted to Jefferson to think about dating Dolley. Besides, she likes Martha. Right?” Laurens looked at Mulligan expectantly, but he was facing the door. 

“Mads? Ya’ in there?” There was a bit of a pause. “Yeah, Madison and Dolley are just really close friends. It’s kinda sad, her and Martha. Martha’s straight. Rare,” After Alex sent him a confused look before he continued. “‘Round here, I mean.” The door opened. 

“Hey, uh, I-I wasn’t p-prepared for people.” So this was Madison. He was about the same height as Alex, but he had a major slouch. His skin was a dark, rosy pink, and there appeared to be a strange smoke coming out of his mouth when he spoke. His eyes were the same shade of pink as his skin, a bit lighter. “I-It’s nice to s-see you all ag-again.” He didn’t smile much, but his eyes had a liveliness that made up for it. 

“Can we, uh, come in?” Madison nodded, stepping to the side. 

“Of c-cou-course,” He seemed to have a stutter, but Alex didn’t know if he was just nervous. “S-Sorry about the m-mess.” 

“Nah, it’s fine. Messes to you are five years of cleaning to me.” Once Madison shut the door behind Laurens (Alex was hidden behind Lafayette), he pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer from his jean pocket. 

God, Madison’s room was nice. It had a sedative smell, a mix of nutmeg and peppermint it seemed. It was all clean and neat. Other than an open book, a cup of tea, a stack of post-it notes, a pair of glasses, and a pencil laying on the counter, everything seemed to be in order. Alarmingly, there was a grouping of several pill bottles, precisely placed around a vase of yellow daisies. 

“C’mon, man. This? This is messy?” 

Madison chuckled, sitting on the pulled out barstool in front of the table with the book. “T-To me, at l-least. W-Wait, who’s t-t-that?” He made eye contact with Alex, smiling. “I-I don’t b-bite.” 

“Sorry, hah, I just got here and I’m still a little wary.” Madison’s eyes widened, but Laurens’s freckles turned dark pink and Madison let out an ‘oh’ of understanding. 

“Well, n-ni-n-ni-” He stopped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

“Take your time,” Lafayette reassured him. Madison chuckled. 

“S-Sorry about that, i-it’s  _ nice  _ to m-meet you.” Mulligan crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. 

“Did you take your medication?” 

“Uh,” Madison scratched his forehead and crossed his legs. “I-I r-ran out y-yester-yesterday. Dolley i-is getting more t-today.” Mulligan nodded, going to one of the other barstools and looking expectantly at Madison. “O-Oh, yeah, y-you can si-sit there.” 

“This is Hamilton. Burr got him drunk last night and brought him in.” Laurens slapped Alex’s shoulder. Madison smiled. 

“I’m s-sorr-sorry, Hamilton. Burr i-is pre-pretty terrible in h-his wa-ways of, h-how wou-would I put it? Rec-Recr-Recruitm-ment?”  _ Recruitment _ .” He rolled his eyes and took a sip of the tea sitting on his counter. “So-Sorry,” He definitely had a stutter, but he seemed more annoyed than embarrassed about it. 

“Oh, no, no don’t worry about it. It’s completely fine.” Madison grinned, his gaze on the floor. 

“I-It’s m-mu-much better w-when I have m-my medi-medication. A-Any-Anyway, w-why did y-you guys st-stop by?” 

“Well, Hamilton still doesn’t know a lot of stuff, and we want him to get to know more people. You and Dolley know most gossip around.” Laurens said, resting his elbow on Hamilton’s shoulder. Lafayette moved to stand behind Mulligan’s chair and rested his hand on his shoulder. Mulligan looked pretty annoyed by it- 

_ He’s excited about it.  _ Laurens’s hand was touching his shoulder and his freckles were dark purple, but they quickly turned back to their normal color once Mulligan looked at him. 

“No, we were hungry. We just figured that we could introduce Hamilton to a few more people while we’re at it,  _ Laurens _ .” Laurens laughed, turning his head away from Mulligan and Lafayette’s view. Hamilton could faintly see the red on his freckles. 

_ Lafayette still really likes him, _

“W-Well, c-can we wa-wait here unt-until Dolley comes? I-I-I wa-wanna t-take my medication b-before we go.” They all nodded. “W-Well, w-who has he m-met so f-far?” 

“Uh,” Alex thought for a moment. “Well, these three, obviously. Uh, Price, Angelica, they’re not very fun. Paine, eh, I wouldn’t count that as actually meeting them, I heard their voice and that’s about it. Oh, and Burr.” Madison raised an eyebrow and put on his glasses that were resting on the open faced book. 

“You w-would-would, uh, th-think that with th-those three y-you’d have m-met every-everyone.” 

“Well, half of the time he’s been here, he was sleeping, and the other half was spent with Lafayette.” Mulligan nodded at Madison and gestured back at Lafayette. Lafayette rested his chin on his head, which he obviously pretended to be annoyed at. 

_ See? He can lie all he wants, they both know they like each other.  _ Hamilton forced back a smirk. 

“W-Well-” There was a loud voice from the door. 

“Yo, someone open up!” Madison jumped up, letting out a small shriek as his tea almost fell over onto the table after he put it down too quickly. 

“D-Doll-Do-Dolley...” 

He continued shaking his head and starting over, and once he got to the door, he stopped with his hand on the handle and took a deep breath. “Dolley,” He opened it, smiling at the woman standing- hovering- in the door. 

“H-Hey,” Dolley was strikingly gorgeous, a pair of glittery silver wings that matched the lacy patterned hijab on her head. Just like Martha, her skin was a dark, pebble gray with lighter patches on her cheeks, Alex couldn’t see her other joints. She was incredibly tall, but she had the most inviting, warm expression on her face, the last thing Alex was was intimidated. 

“I brought’cha pills, Mads.” She pulled a bottle from her pocket and tossed it at Madison, who surprisingly caught it. Her voice was casual and smooth with a very faint middle eastern accent, very similar to Paine’s. “What are y’all doin’ here?” She smiled at Lafayette, Mulligan, and Laurens, but her face went solemn when she saw Alex. “Hey,”

Madison turned to run into his kitchen, taking what looked like far too many pills than he should have, but Dolley watched him and didn’t say anything. 

“Hamilton, Burr brought him in last night once he passed out drunk.” Laurens ruffled Alex’s hair a bit, making him whine in protest and redo his ponytail. “He’s much chiller than I thought he would be.” 

“First human in, what, a year? Sally was the last one brought in, right? Unless there’s been a lotta shit I haven’t been informed about.” Lafayette nodded. 

“No, no, you are correct. I only remember because Thomas told me she did not want to see anyone for quite a while, almost five months. Suspicious? Yes, but there is not much you can do now.” Mulligan stood up. 

“Should we go now? Or, Mads, do you wanna wait a bit until your medication kicks in.” 

“I-I, um,” He took another sip of tea. “Y-Yes, it sh-should-shouldn’t take too long. T-Ten or s-so, min-minutes?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at Laurens, who was mockingly checking his wrist. 

Of course, there was no watch. He was just messing with Madison, apparently. 

“Dude, it was twelve forty-two when we last checked, so unless we wanna eat at one, I guess we can wait.” Mulligan scoffed at him. 

“C’mon, man. You eat lunch at, what, three? Sometimes you don’t even eat lunch, you just go into the dining hall and eat off of other people’s stuff.” 

“My god,” Dolley was laughing, a genuine throw-your-head-back laugh that made the entire room seem happier. “It’s true, though. Many a’time I’m just mindin’ my own business and this lil’ shit comes along and bam! No more food.” 

“That’s a little rude, don’t you think, Doll?” Laurens grinned at her. Dolley furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose. 

“It is, but it’s true. You can’t control yourself. It’s a problem, you should fix it.” 

“What?” Laurens walked over to lean on Madison’s shoulder, making him jump. “Stop eating? That seems a bit ill-willed. Even for you.” Dolley snorted.

“Keep eating, just not my food.” Laurens shrugged. 

“Alright,” He let out a resigned sigh. “Herc, I’m comin’ for your food next.” Mulligan let out a bark of a laugh.

“Hell no,” 

“Can we just go to lunch?” Madison piped up. Laurens gave him an open mouthed smile. 

“Ay! A whole sentence without a stutter-” 

“Don’t j-jinx it!” Madison groaned. “S-See? You can’t say an-anything about it, or I’ll s-stutter again. And it’s called m-med-medication, not mag-magic.” Laurens gaped at him.

“What? Magic? Here? No, not possible!” He put his hand on his hip, raising an eyebrow at Alex. “You still have a hangover?” Alex had  _ nearly  _ forgotten about it. 

“I mean, once you brought it up again. Yeah, I’ve got a little bit of a headache still. But it’s hard to focus on that when,” Alex wildly gestured around to the room and each of the five people in the room. “This is being introduced to you.” Lafayette reached around Mulligan’s shoulder and nudged Madison with his hand. 

“How about you show off those cute little healing powers of yours, James?” He bit his lip and raised his eyebrows at him, giggling when he sighed. 

“They aren’t a show, L-Lafay-Lafayette.” He seemed to have a bit more trouble saying Lafayette’s name.

“But it doesn’t hurt you to use them-” Alex interrupted Lafayette. 

“Wait, wait, wait, wait.  _ Madison _ ? Has healing powers?” The room burst into laughter, except Madison, who just coughed and took another sip of tea, narrowing his eyes at the demon. 

“Yep!” Dolley took the lead, gracefully floating across the room. Her wings gave off a wispy, glittery smoke when she moved them. “Lil’ ol’ Jemmie here-”

“ _ Jemmie _ ?”

“S-Shut up-!” 

“He has lovely healing powers, yet he can’t rid himself of his anxiety, ocd, stutter, and longest medical history in the history of medical histories.” She pouted and ruffled his short-cropped hair. “We love ‘im anyway.” 

“C-Can we just go? I’m actually h-hungry now.” Mulligan stood up and pushed his chair in, stretching his arms above his head. 

“Let’s go then,” 

They all started walking to the door, Dolley skipping ahead to open it. She opened it, pulling it like it was heavier than it looked. “Do you guys have a preference?” Lafayette thought for a moment. 

“I actually wanted Indonesian food today-”

“Too late, we havin’ burgers.” Dolley stepped forward through the door, motioning dramatically for the others to follow. “C’mon,” 

“We always have burgers with you, Dolley. Can we not get something else?” Lafayette groaned, putting his arm around Mulligan’s shoulders. 

“Nope. You’re with me, you gettin’ burgers. Growing up I was kept in a scientific mutation hospital with nothing but halal meat fed to me through a tube. I’m eatin’ what I want, Frenchie.” 

“Frenchie? C'est assez impoli.” 

“I don’t speak French.” Dolley said, walking towards one of the many tables in the place. “Yo, Hamilton, do you know how the food works around here?” 

“No,” Dolley looked at the five others around him. 

“Y’all didn’t explain to him?” There was a murmur of “no’s” and a small “I just met him” from Madison. “Well, it works just like normal human food, so don’t worry. Basically, you don’t necessarily order anything. It just shows up, y’know? Sorry if you don’t like tomatoes, whoever makes everything here sure does.” They all sat down as she explained, but Laurens grabbed Alex’s arm before he did. 

_ Burr. _

Burr, in fact, was walking towards them. He had a concerned look on his face, but he gave a small wave to everyone in the room who said hi to him. He locked eyes with Alex, grimacing. He finally reached their table. 

“Alex? Can I, uh, talk to you?” Alex looked to the other people at the table for help. Mulligan clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair. 

“Go right ahead, Burr-”

“ _ Alone? _ ” They all exchanged awkward glances, but they waved Alex off conclusively. “Again, I’m so, so, so sorry about how quick all this happened, but you’ve made some friends, huh?” 

“What do you need?” Burr nervously wrung his hands once they got to the door. 

“I want to register you with the King.” Alex sent another glance to the table. 

“Well, I don’t know. I was kinda hoping I could with those three, y’know. They introduced me to all of them and I was looking forward to it.” Burr blinked in surprise.

“They made it seem like a fun thing?” Alex shook his head, but anxiously shifted on his feet. 

“Is it, uh, is it a bad thing?” Burr rolled his eyes. 

“Just, come on.” He grabbed his arm and opened the door. Alex didn’t have time to glance back at them before the door shut behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo! Thank you so much for reading!  
> Lafayette has been incredibly fun to write, especially his dynamic with those three.  
> Madison and Dolley are pretty awesome too. Paine is a jerk. But remember him.   
> The actual plot starts up in the next chapter, so hang tight!  
> Again, thank you so much for reading! Anything you want to say about this, please comment below! I love reading them!


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You thought there were a lot of character introductions in the last chapter?-- hAH yeah welcome to this one actually they're just portraits  
> read it and it makes sense  
> Basically more leading up to the plot....... :)

“I wanted to tell you why I brought you here.” Burr started once he was sure the door was shut. Alex tapped his foot nervously, biting his lip. They were back in the small hall outside of Burr’s. Who could have thought that in less than a day things could have changed so much. That was cheesy. Alex internally cringed at himself. “Did they tell you about the King’s Assembly?” 

“They briefly mentioned it, uh, Adrienne? Lafayette’s, uh, wife? Is it complicated?” Burr winced, nodding.

“Yeah. But don’t think too far into it. Those three are overdramatic. Someone so much as bumps Lafayette when he walks past and suddenly they’re shoved him to the ground and slapped his face.” Alex raised an eyebrow. 

“That’s oddly specific.” 

“It’s happened before- again, off topic. But yeah, Adrienne is a part of it. That’s not the point, again. The King’s Assembly just controls everything around here. The people who look entirely human, or can make themselves appear so, and can go out and get more people who belong here and know enough and are powerful enough to be here. Basically, Schuyler, he’s the most powerful out of all of us, with the exception of the King, doesn’t want to expand our reaches. He doesn’t even want anymore humans. He wanted to stop human acceptance at Abigail, and she’s been here for years. The final straw was Seabury. He doesn’t even know Sally or you are here. 

He quit a few months ago, and since then, I’ve been out looking for someone. And suddenly, I stumble across you. You have something in you, Alex.” Burr finished with his hand on his shoulder. “You can help this place. I know it,” Alex uncomfortably leaned away from Burr’s hand. 

“How would you know that? And that sounds like something they would say in a cheesy show when they need the plot to get going.” 

“I asked Angelica. Precognition? Remember? Look, I just want you to trust me on this. Please.” Alex took a few deep breaths, and then let out a resigned sigh. 

“Fine,” Burr pulled back, smiling widely. “But. What do you want me to do?” 

“Again, I want to register you with the King.” 

“C’mon, Burr. Can I at least get those three? Look, does the King have a problem with humans?” Burr blew a raspberry.

“Hell no. He’s got one of his own.” Alex narrowed his eyes, but Burr continued. “No, I phrased that wrong, kind of- damn, yeah. You can get those three, and then we can go. Actually, uh, I dunno, can we stop by the throne room first? I don’t know if they’re having a meeting or something. Come with me for that?” 

“Sure,” Burr smiled, gently holding out his hand. Alex scoffed. 

“You want me to hold your hand?” Burr grinned. 

“You  _ don’t  _ want to hold mine?” 

“So you’re one of those guys, huh?” Burr shrugged. Alex reluctantly took his hand, trying to keep himself from smiling too much. “So, uh, is this King guy chill?” They began walking into the door that once left Burr’s apartment, but now lead into a long hallway. On the walls were paintings, all of them moving slightly, mostly just their eyes. 

“No. Not at all.” 

“Thanks, uh, that makes me feel great…” He trailed off, making uncomfortable eye contact with one of the portraits. “What, uh, what are these?” Burr nodded, swinging their arms back and forth like someone in middle school would do when walking to another class together. 

“They’re all the people in the King’s Assembly. That scary lady you’re staring at is actually Adrienne. Speak of the devil herself,” 

Well, she wasn’t unattractive. She was quite the opposite. But she was scary as hell, Burr got that right. The tips of her fingers were a pitch black, a slow moving smoke around her. Her dress was, um, not exactly the most modest. She had a very condescending look on her face and she firmly held a cane in her thin, black-tipped fingers.

“Basically, people part of the assembly all have their own portraits. They move a bit, but they won’t laugh or do anything if you try to get a reaction from them. Price, Eacker, and Philip have spent literal hours in here messing with all of them. They’re chill, you can meet them later. But, uh, yeah. Members of the assembly don’t have to go down this hall, they go straight to the throne. I can walk you through them later, though. We have a King to meet-”

“We have a throne room to check that there aren’t any meetings going on. We have no one to meet, remember?” Alex reminded him, tearing his eyes away from the woman Burr told him was Adrienne. “I hope you aren’t tricking me.” 

“You can trust me, Alex. I don’t really have a reason to trick you, anyway. You’re new here, that’d just be cruel.” Alex smiled. Burr lightly squeezed his hand, dropping it, much to Alex’s relief. “I’m knocking, alright?”

“Uh,” Alex chuckled nervously. “Why wouldn’t I have a problem with that?” Burr shrugged and pressed his finger to his lips, signalling for him to be quiet. He knocked on the door. 

“It’s Burr,” It took a moment, but a small window opened in the door, only enough room for someone’s eyes to peer out. “Hey, Steuben! What’s up-”

“The King is rather unhappy with you after your residency papers.” It was the same red and purple eyes that Alex had seen earlier when Steuben came in after he woke up. “He says that for the belatedness of the filing is no excuse for the carelessness of it. “ Burr leaned on the door, absentmindedly kicking at the door. “Can you please refrain from defiling the King’s door?” Burr rolled his eyes, but defeatedly put his foot down.

“Hey, are you guys in a meeting?” Steuben’s eyes narrowed. 

“Why do you need to know?” 

“I wanna register little Alex, here.” He motioned back to him. Steuben’s eyes moved to look at him. 

“He’s the one you got drunk last night? You know how the King feels about humans being let in-”

“Seriously? He isn’t the one who has a problem with it, it’s Schuyler.” Steuben shifted his gaze downcast, his eyebrows furrowed. “You know that, Steuben.” He said in a singsong voice. 

Steuben let out a resigned sigh and rolled his eyes. “No, we aren’t having a meeting. I will alert the King that you would like to meet with him. Around what time are you predicting?” 

“I don’t know!” Burr exasperatedly threw his head back and let it fall against the door with a loud thud. Steuben jumped.

“Watch the door, Mr. Burr!” 

“Jesus, I’m sorry, Steuben. I don’t know, it shouldn’t be longer than a few hours. If it is, then you can politely decline our entrance.” Steuben narrowed his eyes again. 

“Who’s going to accompany you when Mr. Hamilton is registered?” Alex had a moment of panic when he said ‘Mr. Hamilton’, before he realized Burr told him his full name earlier. They stood there awkwardly. “Well?” Steuben was talking to Alex. 

“O-Oh, uh,” He looked at Burr nervously, even though he was making the decision. “I, uh, Laurens-”

“John Laurens, telepathy?” Alex nodded at Steuben, who pulled away and looked down. Alex could hear a rather loud scratching sound, and he could only assume that he was writing something down. Steuben looked back up. Alex still found it a bit humorous that he was looking through a slot in the door and didn’t just open the door. 

“Uh, Hercules Mulligan, uh, yeah.” 

“Empathy?” 

“Yeah,” 

“And, Lafayette. I don’t, uh, know his full name-” Steuben waved him off. 

“I know who you’re talking about. Demon,” Steuben looked back up, an apathetic and bored look on his face- uh, well from what he could see. “Alright, come back when you’re ready, but know we will turn you away if you are too late.” 

“Thanks, Friedrich-”

“Do not call me that, I will cancel the registration meeting.” Steuben slammed the slot closed, which caused much louder of a sound than Alex anticipated, and Burr turned back to face him. 

“You haven’t eaten, have you?” Alex shook his head. 

“No, but I’ll get a little something when we go back to them.” Burr nodded. 

“You want me to show you all the portraits? There are thirteen people in it, but most of them aren’t like, the  _ real  _ Assembly.” Alex snorted. 

“What do you mean “real” Assembly? Don’t they all just make decisions together?” Burr shook his head, walking towards the first one. 

“Nah, some of them are just there because they’re smart and if the King needs extra people, he’s got them. Seabury’s just there for the King, he doesn’t do anything. Well, uh, he does stuff, but- you’ll see when we register you.” Alex scoffed. 

“This is Angelica, right?” 

“Yep,” Angelica looked just as pissed in her portrait as she did in real life. Who knew someone with no pupils could seem so angry. Her curly hair was pulled into a half pony tail, but it didn’t seem to do any good to the containment of the wild mane. She wore a tuxedo vest with high waisted shorts that ended halfway down her thighs. For as bitter as she looked, she was quite pretty- in her own way. Not the set vision of beauty, but it was definitely there. “She’s, uh, she’s a bitch. She is, but she’s nice to her friends and will kill you if she feels it necessary. That was figurative, we’re still civilized.” 

Alex nodded, stepping past that and moving in front of Price’s portrait. “I know who this is, we can skip him.” Price was wearing a sweatshirt, even though it appeared that the portraits were formal. 

“Ugh, we should probably get going. Anyone you want to see specifically?” Alex thought for a moment, looking down the hall. 

“Well, uh, I can assume the guy above the other door is the King, judging by his outfit and crown, uh, just rapid fire everyone.” Burr took a deep breath. 

“Martha and George Washington,” He pointed to a couple with slightly blue scaled skin. “They’re dragon shapeshifters, pretty cool, but they never use it.” He moved to point at Paine. “Paine, they’re a sphinx, they’re also the meanest person you’ll ever meet- besides the King- but they’re really smart, so don’t mess with them.” 

“I’ve met them, kinda. I heard their voice in the library.” 

They moved to another portrait. “Martha Manning, harpy. They’re okay, but they keep to themselves.” They had short brown hair pulled into a small ponytail behind their head, as well as two massive tawny wings that dragged on the ground. “Philip Schuyler, no one sees him much except if something’s really wrong.” They looked like a normal person, except for ashy grey skin that matched bone white hair in a low ponytail, tied with a blue ribbon. “Adams, he’s in love with a human and he’s immortal,” 

“Met him,” 

“Steuben, you know him, he’s a bitch.” He  got to the last two, that weren’t the King. 

The person in it highly resembling Adrienne other than her long, ginger hair folded over her head with a crown atop it. She was less striking than Adrienne, but she was attractive nonetheless. When her portrait made eye contact with Alex, she gave a small smile, hardly noticeable. Just a softening of the eyes and a slight upturn in the corners of her lips. “Queen Charlotte, she’s really nice. But, uh, she’s married to the King, but he never really pays attention to her. She’s asexual, so there isn’t that side of their relationship, but she really loves him. It’s kinda sad.” 

“Well, why doesn’t the King pay attention to her? Is he asexual too?” Burr outright laughed. 

“ _ Fuck _ no. That’s what this lil’ Seabury’s for.” They moved to the last portrait in the line, closest to the door on the right side. They looked like they were about to break, they were so thin. Despite their rather provocative expression, they had a very anxious look to them. Like Charlotte, they were wearing a crown on their head, only theirs was a bit more detailed. “He’s the King’s favorite, alright. He’s also human, so maybe you guys will get along?” He said, shrugging, his voice going up in octave like he wasn’t sure of what he was saying.

“What? Why do you sound so unsure about that?” Alex asked with a snort. 

“Because, well, Seabury’s a stuck-up brat. I’m saying that as nicely as possible. But, I dunno. Maybe you’ll appeal to him, or something.” Burr nodded and clicked his tongue, turning to the door. “We should probably go, don’t you think?” 

Alex nodded slightly, moving towards the door. Burr opened it into the same room that Dolley had lead them into. Burr looked around for a bit before spotting the five sitting down at a table. Laurens was sitting facing them, so he waved them over. 

“How’s Laurens?” Burr asked him, nudging him with his elbow to catch his attention. 

“What?” Alex’s cheeks flushed red. “Oh, uh, he’s fine. It’s kinda stressful, what, with someone able to read your mind.” Burr pulled out one of the chairs for Alex, motioning for him to sit. “Thanks,” 

“Yeah, well once you know him for a while you start to unconsciously put a filter on your thoughts.” Dolley was sitting next to Alex and she put her head on her hand and raised her eyebrows at him. 

“Whaaaat? What’er y’all talkin’ about?” Burr laughed at her, but leaned back for Alex to talk. 

“Oh, hah, we were talking about Laurens and telepathy.” Laurens let out a small ‘oh’ and giggled. 

“Explainable. You guys would not _ believe _ all the things I’ve heard. Especially before I came in. I would have you know, most people are not straight. You couldn’t pay me to tell you all of the things my pastor used to think during his anti-homosexuality preaches. Lord, he had some internalized problems.” Lafayette and Madison found this hilarious for some reason, but Dolley and Mulligan just gave small smiles. 

“Speakin’ of straight people,” Dolley spoke up, everyone turning to face her. “Martha Wayles. I dunno how to get to her. She’s been my best friend since, what, seventh grade? We came in together and y’know, I really thought she was at  _ least  _ bi. I guess not. All she does is complain ‘bout how Jefferson’s all over that one,” She gestured to Madison, who grinned and put his head in his hands. “And not her,” 

Burr stood up and pushed the chair in again. “I have to get something in  _ again  _ with Steuben, so I’m gonna meet you guys in the throne room when you’re all ready. Okay?” There was a chorus of “got it”s and “alright”s as Burr walked away again. 

Once they watched Burr leave the room, they all turned back to the center of the table and Lafayette nodded sympathetically at what Dolley said before Burr left, taking a sip of his coffee. 

“I understand, mon ami. For a very long time when I first met Mulligan I thought he was straight with all of the time he had spent with Elizabeth. She is another supernatural here, if you were wondering.” Mulligan tried to hide his blush and playfully punched his arm, but before he could pull away, Lafayette wrapped his arm around him and yanked him to the edge of his chair, holding him close. “Of course, I know that that is not true anymore.” He winked, making Mulligan blush a deeper shade and try to shove him away. Lafayette kissed the top of his head, but let him go. 

“That is insulting and rude,” Mulligan forced back a laugh and took off the beanie, wiping it off on Laurens’s arm. “I didn’t give you permission to kiss my head-” He started laughing, along with Dolley, Laurens, and Madison. Alex was confused why all of them were laughing so hard and he turned to Burr to ask, but he answered. 

“It’s an inside joke, don’t ask them to explain it, they will literally get a sentence in and then have to stop, they’re laughing so hard.” Alex smiled. He only just met these people, but they were definitely fun. Laurens stopped laughing, still grinning ear to ear, and turned to Alex.

“Hey, uh, did you guys go check with the King? Steuben ran over here saying that he was expecting us in, uh, less than three hours or somethin’ like that.” Alex nodded. 

“Yeah, Burr wanted me to, for some reason.” Madison spoke up, waving his hands.

“N-No, no, no. You want to be r-registered within the first twenty-four hours you’re h-here. The King isn’t happy if you w-wait. I dunno, s-something about him having a b-busy schedule? Right? Which o-one of you knows the most about h-him?” 

Laurens snorted. “Well, if I-” 

“C’mon, Laurens.” Mulligan interrupted him. “You’ve literally seen him twice.” Laurens raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms. 

“Oh really? When? If you’re so sure-”

“Once during your registration, and once during Martha Mannings, and then once during Madison’s.”

Laurens shifted farther down into his seat, frowning, but he reached up to take a sip from Dolley’s wine glass, which she slapped his hand once he put it down. “Well didn’t know you were so obsessed with me, but alright.” 

“But yeah,” Mulligan continued. “The King does claim to have a busy schedule. What, with his meetings, constant ignorance and obsession over two people in particular, and raging sessions of narcissism, sure. He’s got a busy schedule.” There were a few scattered chuckles, but Mulligan clearly didn’t say it to get laughs. 

“Are you guys talking about the King?” A voice Alex wasn’t familiar with spoke up from behind him. He turned to see a girl, probably around Laurens’s age, maybe younger, stood with her hands on the back of Dolley’s chair. Again, she looked mostly normal except that the tips of her fingers were all different colors, seemingly changing constantly from what Alex could see. 

“Elizabeth! Where’ve you been?” Dolley smiled, turning to look at her. Elizabeth wasn’t near thin, but she was still as striking as Dolley. She grinned, moving to kneel at the edge of the table, her arms resting on it. 

“I’ve actually been out in the human world. I know, I know, pretty cool.” She had a British accent, It was cute. 

Laurens smiled and cocked his head. “Did you wear gloves? Or did Schuyler give you a charm?” 

“Nah, gloves. Don't mention it, Schuyler didn't even know I was gone.” There was a burst of comments of disapproval, but Elizabeth hushed them after she noticed a few glares from other tables. “Shut up ‘bout it, though ! Schuyler’s already on my ass about where I go because, uh, I dunno, apparently I’m not trustworthy enough to have free reign. Or somethin’.” The disapproving grumbles changed to agreement, which Elizabeth just rolled her eyes at. 

“Trust me, after what Mulligan’s told me of what you’ve done, you ain’t trustworthy.” Laurens snorted. Alex grinned at the blush that quickly appeared on Elizabeth’s face, but once she and Dolley looked at each other, they burst into a fit of giggles. Alex raised an eyebrow and looked to Laurens. 

Laurens reached under the table, shifting a bit awkwardly to tap Alex’s knee under the table. Alex got the message, gently touching his fingertips. No one seemed to notice, except for Madison who just nodded in understanding. 

_ They’re mutually head over heels for each other. Well, then again, Dolley has never admitted to it.  _

The conversation continued, seemingly about Mulligan and Elizabeth. Alex only just noticed that when they were communicating everything else was a bit mumbled. Like he was underwater. Alex tilted his head slightly, so slightly that you would only notice if you were looking for a sort of reaction. 

_ Wait, are they dating? Because doesn’t Dolley like Martha?  _ There was a small burst of laughter and Alex watched as Laurens forced a laugh, even though his eyes were a bit glazed over and he looked disinterested. Maybe, he thought, that’s what happened during telepathic communication? Everything Laurens did related to his power seemed to have a physical sign that gave it away. 

_ No.  _ Alex looked at them. Well they sure seemed like they were dating. They did seem much more touchy than just platonic friends would be.  _ Dolley loves Martha to death. If Martha came out and said she liked Dolley, she would leave Elizabeth in the dust. It’s pretty depressing, but Martha has shown no signs to being anything but straight.  _ Laurens pulled away from Alex’s hand and sat straight up. He blinked a few times, appearing to clear his head. Alex was positive that’s what it was, then. 

“And just, look who’s talking!” Mulligan was telling a story, apparently. Lafayette had an arm around his shoulders, grinning at him. “All I remember is that some douchebag messed with him and told him he was selling his soul to Satan, but his damn dyslexia prevented him from seeing that they wrote Santa. And that was the end of Hugh’s social life. Lucky him, he went to college the next year.” The other people started giggling, Laurens once again forced himself to, and Alex just looked and smiled. 

“Wait, Mads, you always have some stories about your siblings. Tell us some, I’m sure Alex would wanna hear them.” Dolley grinned. She was sitting on the edge of her seat so her and Elizabeth could sit together. Alex made eye contact with Laurens once he notices, but Laurens just tried not to smile and looked at Madison. 

“Yeah, your family’s a riot.” Madison looked nervous. 

“Hey, didn’t you g-guys have to register him s-soon?” Madison asked, resting his head in his hands and gesturing slightly towards Alex. Lafayette blew a raspberry. 

“Come on, James. Why are you so against telling us about your family? We know you have stories, as we are not the best at letting you be.” Lafayette’s hand began playing with Mulligan’s jacket collar, which he just scowled at. Alex took a peek at Laurens who was burying his face in the crook of his elbow, a wide and excited grin evident in only his eyes and forehead. In the few freckles Alex could see, he noticed they were dark purple. Neither Lafayette nor Mulligan seemed to notice, but everyone else did too. 

Madison turned to Lafayette, going on about how he got uncomfortable telling long stories with his stutter. Everyone else in the table still faced him as to seem like they were listening, but Dolley leaned over in her seat. 

“Laurens should probably be more subtle when he starts going’ crazy for those two.” Alex rolled his eyes at her, but she just grinned. “C’mon, Mads. What’bout Nelly? She’s chill, right? Didn’t you heal ‘er broken leg once?” Madison groaned and rolled his head back.

“One, t-that was ac-accidental. T-Two, she m-moved away when I was s-se-seven. I don’t remember m-much else that sh-she did.” 

“But! But! But!” Dolley practically stood up from her chair. “You got Frances and Francis, huh? They’re a riot!” 

“Damn, Doll.” Laurens laughed, sitting back in his seat. “Why do ya’ like them so much again?” 

Dolley leaned back in her chair, resting her arm on Elizabeth’s shoulder, which Elizabeth’s ears turned slightly red at. “Remember? Me and Madison knew each other before we came in. That’s why we came in together. Frances and Francis were like, I dunno, my best friends all through high school. Well, besides for Martha. Which I’m still bitter about what-”

“Y’all talkin’ about me?” Very similarly to how Elizabeth introduced herself, Martha was back. “Well, I don’t care much, but Martha W just ran into me at the Artist’s Prix. She said that she was just comin’ from the throne room and the King wanted y’all now. I dunno if he’s angry ‘bout it, but he seems distracted enough that he won’t be too pissed if you ain’t showin’ up.” She looked at Laurens. 

“She said that Burr said Steuben said he was already pissed at you, I dunno why, but maybe y’all should leave sooner than later.” 

Laurens blinked. “Damn,” He stood up, lazily saluting to her. “Alright,  _ Mercurio _ .” He fell right into a half-assed bow, which Alex made a very small chuckle of surprise from. “So, uh, Herc, Laf, and Alex. Les’ go, huh?” 

“Wait, but A-Alex just got here.” Madison sat up, his eyes wide. “Has h-he eaten anything?”

Alex shook his head. “Yeah, I’m still not hungry. And from what I’ve heard, I don’t wanna piss off this King dude, even if he’s not that interested right now.” 

“P-Probably a good idea.” 

“So,” Lafayette and Mulligan stood up as Laurens spoke. “I guess we’ll see y’all later.” 

“A-Alr-Alri- uh, hah, uhm, sorry, A-alright.” Madison’s face got really red when he stuttered heavily. 

Dolley and Elizabeth both smiled and Dolley waved. “Have fun at your registration, Hamilton!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who said there would be plot in this chapter?  
> Me.   
> Guess who didn't get plot in this chapter?  
> Also me.   
> I'm so, so, so sorry about that! I really wanted to get a chapter up this week, and I've been veeerrrrryyyy busy lately.  
> This next month is gonna be a lot more difficult for me to post regularly, so bear with me guys!  
> Thank you so much for reading, and please comment! I love the feedback!


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex gets registered, and its a trainwreck honestly... It's pretty fun, no one dies, so all good things, all good things. Kinda- no not really it's pretty bad
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Laurens seemed pretty confident in where he was going, despite that Alex had been told he had only been to the throne room twice. He skipped down the long hall with more gusto than one probably should have, even in a situation that wasn’t as serious as the one at hand. The others certainly didn’t make it seem like a simple task of going in. If anything, they made it sound awful. 

“Yo, Laurens, stop draggin’ your hand on the wall.” Mulligan warned. Laurens, in fact, was dragging his hand along the wall as he skipped, quickly pulling his hand away before he touched the large portraits. He pulled his hand away a little too close for comfort, his fingertips brushing the intricate frames each time.

“I ain’t gonna touch them, chill, Herc.” As he said this, he actually did touch one. When he did, the entire frame shifted a bit. Laurens yelped, leaping back to stare up at Charlotte’s portrait. Charlotte- well, her portrait?- didn’t seem angry, though. She just worryingly flinched a bit and peered down at him. Her movements were slow, almost like she was standing in clear molasses. 

As Laurens attempted to reposition it (with much difficulty, as the portrait was almost ten times the reasonable size to be shifting by hand), Mulligan began slow clapping behind him. “Wow, nice job. Real nice job,  _ John _ . You really outdid yourself here. God, I’m proud of you-”

“Shut up, dude!” Laurens whisper screamed, angrily shooting a look at Lafayette who was laughing at him. “Shit shit shit,  _ fuck _ , c'mon, help!” Mulligan shook his head, still laughing, but walked over to help him adjust it. Portrait Charlotte just covered her mouth with the back of her hand and appeared to giggle, but Alex couldn’t really tell because he couldn’t hear anything. “God, they’re looking at me!” 

“It’s just us, Laurens. Why are you panicking-”  
“The other portraits!” Alex grinned, but looked around and did see the other portraits staring. The largest portrait of the King looked furious. Alex said a silent prayer that the portraits couldn’t tell on them. He had a very strong suspicion that the King wouldn’t be as calm as his portrait. The rest of the portraits were all staring at them, expressions ranging from humorous to downright scared. 

“Ne vous inquiétez pas, mon ami. Hercules has fixed it already.” Lafayette waved to Charlotte, who gave a gentle smile back. 

“You just sayin’ that because you play favorites.” Laurens grumbled, stepping back to look at the portrait. “Dammit, it is straight… C’mon, one of you go knock on the door, will ya’?” He waved towards the door, giving portrait Charlotte a weak smile and cringe before leaping away next to Mulligan. 

Lafayette skipped ahead of them, humming to himself. Laurens slowed down his pace just ever so slightly as to walk behind Mulligan. Both he and Alex pretended not to notice Mulligan staring after him. Laurens grinned at Hamilton, eyeing Mulligan- not at all subtly. Alex smiled and looked away for a second, but snapped back when he noticed Laurens’s freckles purple. He sashayed next to him, tapping his shoulder and keeping his finger there.  _ Yo, doesn’t he not like when you read his mind? _

Laurens’s face flushed red as he noticed. He shook his head a few times before reeling back up, his freckles returning to their iridescent normalness. He gently shoved Alex away as to dismiss anything looking suspicious. 

Lafayette skipped up to the door, rapping on it. “Hello?” He drew out the ‘o’ in an overly extravagant singsong voice. “Mr Steuben, would you be ever so kind to open this door for me?” 

Lafayette spoke slowly. It was almost as if he still needed to translate what he was going to say before he said it. Alex couldn’t blame him. He had been bilingual his whole life, he never had to learn a second language. His mom was fluent in both Spanish and English, but some people in his old town only spoke one and had to learn. Alex just switched between the two languages depending on who he spoke to. If he hadn’t spoke one for a while, it took him some time to get used to the other one sometimes. He learned French after he got his first job, as it required an absurd amount of trade with France. For some reason. Other than that, speaking French had proven to be unhelpful in every situation except for interpreting what Lafayette said for Laurens and Mulligan when it was important. He hadn’t spoken Spanish in years. He hadn’t needed to. 

But he knew quite a few people who had only spoken one language and had to learn it, and in a nearly third world island, it was pretty hard to find good resources to teach. Overall, the slowness in his speech was entirely forgivable. 

A moment passed before Steuben opened the little slot in the door that he spoke through. “Who’s there?” 

“Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette?” Steuben’s red and purple eyes rolled as Lafayette spoke, his eyes narrowing. 

“Who’re you with?” Lafayette did a side step, motioning to the other three standing behind him. “Names?” Lafayette slouched, visibly annoyed. 

“Can you not see?” Steuben shifted his gaze downcast. 

“Names, Gilbert.”

Lafayette scoffed. “Now you are just being stubborn, mon ami. It is me, Hercules, John, and Alexander.” Steuben clicked his tongue. 

He raised his eyebrows, appearing to be reading something out of view. “I’m very sorry, but if you don’t have anyone with you from when you signed up for the meeting, you can’t come in.” He went to shut the window but there was a short bark and Steuben jumped away. “Mr. Paine, I’m dealing with these-”

“Steuben, stop being a bitch and let them in.” Lafayette began to smile, but both Laurens and Mulligan took a step back. “Pardon him, boys, and- who’s that?” Paine stepped into the small window, their reddish orange eyes seeming to literally glow, burning a hole into Alex. 

“Oh,” Lafayette turned to Alex. “That is Alexander, we are here to get him registered.” He clearly didn’t think about what a statement that was, because Paine’s eyes widened and their pupils contracted, as if someone had literally punched them.

“Wait, you-” They lowered their voice dramatically, all four of the boys on the other side moving in to hear them. “You want to register a human?” 

Wait, how did they know he was human-

“Paine has that power, y’know, to detect when someone’s human.” Laurens explained, keeping his eyes glued on the door. 

“Seabury was the last human registered, and he was registered more than two years ago, are you aware of that, Mr. Hamilton?” Laurens pushed Alex forward so he could speak more directly to Paine. 

“Uh, no? But why is Seabury any different? We’re both humans right-” He was cut off by Steuben laughing. 

“Oh, Alex. I guarantee if you went to the King and got on-”

“ _ Steuben, please! _ ” Paine hissed, their eyes widening with fury. “If the King heard-”

“Excuse me, gentlemen. If you could please refrain from whispering across the room out of earshot, that would be lovely.” There was a heavily accented voice that was faintly heard from inside the room. To the four outside, it sounded quiet, but Paine and Steuben both jumped and stared back at the voice’s source. 

“Your Majesty, please forgive us-”

“Can you spare me the apologies and simply tell me what is happening?” Paine glanced back at the four before they slammed the window shut. Alex could hear loud padding, presumably from their sphinx paws hitting the ground. There wasn’t any noise for a few moments and nothing happened, except Lafayette leaned against the door and blew a loose strand of hair from his face. 

“Damn, are they seriously not gonna let us in?” Mulligan complained, leaning in front of Lafayette. Alex thought it was funny, the height difference. Mulligan was wider, he looked at least twice as muscular as Lafayette, but Lafayette was still much taller. Lafayette seemed to be taller than everyone so far. 

“I do not know, mon amor-”

“ _ Don’t _ .” Mulligan whipped around and glared at him. 

“Désolé, sorry, anyway. You would think that just us being on the list would be enough to let us-” Lafayette and Mulligan both jumped away as the door swung open. 

“His Majesty will speak to you now about the registration of Mr. Alexander-” 

“Yeah, yeah, just let us in, Steuben.” Laurens chimed, pushing past the three outside into the now open door. “Damn, it’s been a minute hasn’t it, throne room? Nice to see you again!” Alex followed Laurens into the throne room, regretfully letting his jaw drop a bit. 

Well Burr wasn’t kidding about the King being extravagant. The throne room was incredible. It was a long room, the walls decorated with curtains and lights. There were a few scattered people walking around, each one looked familiar from the portraits in the previous room. Steuben and Paine ran forward to the end of the room, which was quite the scene. Alex had figured there would be a throne, hence “Throne room”, but this exceeded his expectations. 

Again, extravagant was the key word in the situation. Everything just looked red and  _ gold _ . Like someone had taken a paintbrush and just put gold everywhere. As well as the rather pleasing color scheme of red and gold that fluctuated through the whole room. Laurens bumped Alex’s shoulder, motioning for him to close his mouth. 

“The King stressed manners too much-”

“ _ Laurens _ !” Mulligan hissed, nodding his head towards the throne Alex had just been gawking at. Paine had moved to sit next to the throne (Alex tried not to snort at the fact that he sat like a cat) and Steuben stood on the opposite side, staring them down. The King, although, looked exactly like how he expected him to. Luxurious, handsome, and incredibly egotistical. He sat casually against one of the arm rests, his arm dangling off. A small figure stood partially hidden by the throne’s shadow, toying with the King’s hand. Alex could only assume it was Seabury. 

“Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to be in your presence.” Laurens stepped forward and bowed, not very far. Mulligan bowed as well, followed by Lafayette. Lafayette bowed so far the loose strand of hair touched the ground. 

“Bonne soirée, votre Majesté.”

“Good evening,” 

“Gentlemen,” The King sneered, his eyes narrowing and his chin lifting so he stared down the bridge of his nose at the four. “Who’s our lovely guest, hm?” Alex took a few steps forward. 

“Alexander Hamil-”

“Bow before you speak to me.” He commanded. Alex was a bit taken aback, but after getting panicked and nervous glances from the other three, he complied, very awkwardly. As he did, a small, feminine giggle rang out and echoed in the hall. Alex got back up, staring at Seabury who had stepped forward into view. Steuben stepped aside to let him through, but quickly stood back in his previous position once Seabury settled next to the King’s knees, folding his hands in front of him. “Please continue.” 

“I, uh,” The King threaded his heavily ringed fingers through Seabury’s ginger hair. “Alexander Hamilton. Is, uh, I’m Alexander Hamilton, uh, yeah.” The King pursed his lips, raising an eyebrow. 

“When you answer me, you finish by addressing me.” He warned. Alex blinked, but conclusively shrugged. 

“Alright, uh, King- wait, uh, what’s your name?” The room went silent. Laurens, Mulligan, and Lafayette all stood stiff, the other people in the room turned to face them, Paine and Steuben gasped, appearing offended, Seabury’s already pale skin lost all color entirely and he let out a small whimper as the King tightened his grip and pulled his hair. 

“Wait, uh, sorry, did I say something?” Alex nervously chuckled. He did laugh, when he was uncomfortable. That was about it. 

“Your Majesty.” The King’s eye twitched, as if hearing the slightest slip-up was too much to handle. “You will address me by  _ ‘Your Majesty’. _ ” He sat up, reaching down to grab Seabury’s bony wrist and yank him up onto the throne next to him. Seabury leaned against his chest, taking one leg and draping it over the King’s, glaring at Alex from where he sat. Alex already hated him. 

“Sorry, uh, Your Majesty.” 

“Why are you here?” The King asked. 

Alex looked at the other three, but their gazes were all locked on their feet. This guy meant business, didn’t he? “I, um, I want a registration- Wait, I, uh, can I be registered?” Alex felt heat rise to his face, especially as Laurens and Mulligan winced next to him. Lafayette stood still. 

“Goodness gracious,” The King started, rubbing his temple with one hand and wrapping the other around Seabury’s waist. Seabury shifted to hold onto the King’s collar, using it as a handhold to leave kisses all over the King’s neck. “Has anyone ever told you to have some  _ manners _ ?” He hissed. He was one to  _ talk _ . If there was anything that seemed rude, it wasn’t Alex’s stammering. Seabury either needed to cut it out or the King had to shut up about  _ manners- _

Laurens landed a quick kick to Alex’s ankle, his freckles dark brown. The moment alex acknowledged him, his freckles changed back to normal. 

“No apologies? Fine, I see how it is-”

“Sorry!” Lafayette broke his stance, hiding his face in his hands. 

“ _ Cher Dieu…”  _

“I’m sorry, uh, Your Majesty. I mean, uh, for being rude and, I-I, um-” The King silenced him with a wave of his hand.

“Please stop the stammering, Alexander. And please cut to the chase, you’re wasting my precious time.” He turned to Seabury, moving the hand that wasn’t on his hip to the base of his neck. He leaned down with parted lips to kiss him, suddenly losing all interest in Alex. Seabury smiled against the King’s lips, moving one of his hands to his jaw. Laurens lost his collected facade, putting his weight on one leg and his hands on his hips. 

“Hey, uh, you wanna criticize Hamilton for bein’ rude, yet it looks like you literally couldn’t give less of-” 

“ _ Laurens _ !” Mulligan warned, dropping his hand to gently rub his back. “C’mon, dude. Breathe, in, out, in-”

“Excuse me?” The King was staring at Laurens, his eyes (that were an unsettling dark red) wide and  _ furious _ . “Mr. Laurens, what did you say to me?” He stood up from the throne, knocking Seabury off balance as he did.

“Laurens, don’t do anything stupid, please-” 

“Maybe if you weren’t such an assh-”

“I think it is a good idea if you left, Mr. Laurens.” The King interrupted him, his voice loud. Well, that was a quick visit. “Take your posse with you. You’ve entirely wasted my time, offended me and my Assembly, and goodness, I thought your little anger issue would have been solved at this point.” He clicked his tongue. “Pity, really. Adrienne told me you were getting better.” 

Lafayette tensed up as he mentioned her. The King noticed this, as he motioned for Seabury to leave the throne (who glared at him as he complied), and stood up from the throne. He didn’t step forward, just stood with one hand on the arm rest. 

“Gilbert, how has she been lately?” He smirked. Lafayette let out a breath, and smoothed back his hair. 

“Très drôle, Votre Majesté. Adrienne a été très bien.” The King seemed to be a bit annoyed that he was speaking in French, but he seemed to understand. He just raised an eyebrow and grimaced. 

“I’ll take your word for it.” He looked back at Laurens. “As for you. Leave. I would prefer if you did not return to the throne room unless the situation is not ignorable.” He looked Alexander.  “As for you. Despite your incredibly rude behaviour, and that I am nearly positive you had never been taught manners in your entire life, I am willing to register you. But if I am informed of any misconduct, I will have a file sent to have you evacuated from the premises. Thank you, good day.” With that, he sat back into his chair, waving them off dismissively. 

“Escort them out, Paine.” Paine nodded. They stood up and padded over to the group and nodded for them to follow. As they walked to the door, Alex watched Mulligan put his arms around both Laurens and Lafayette. Alex picked up his pace a bit so he was closer to then. He didn’t want to eavesdrop, but both of them seemed pretty uncomfortable going out. 

“Guys, you alright?” Mulligan asked. Alex didn’t miss Paine’s almost sympathetic expression as they turned back, but it was too faint to actually mean anything to him. No one said anything until Paine had let them out into the hall with the portraits. 

“No! That motherfu-”

“Laurens, really. You need to get that under control, you were getting kinda better, I dunno… That isn’t the problem, though. Laurens, you can’t just talk to the King like that.” Laurens opened his mouth quickly to retaliate, but Mulligan was two steps ahead of him. “I know. I know that it wasn’t fair for Alex. He didn’t know what the rules were when talking to him. Granted, they are stupid, but-”

“It’s fuckin’ stupid! Like, it’s Alex’s first fucking day here! He doesn’t even know all the regulations we have outside of his damn throne room!” Laurens shakes off Mulligan’s hand and whipped around to face Alex. “And as for you. Dude, have you ever picked up a book in your life? Hell, I dunno if it’s a damn book that tells you how to treat royalty- oh, wait! It’s common sense! I know it’s your first day, I literally just said it, but damn! You just- what the hell?! You just cost-”

Mulligan stood in between him and Alex, as Laurens was (seemingly unconsciously) moving closer “John! Cut it out, alright? Go take a few breaths and, uh, drink a glass of water. Seriously. Please, you’re gonna mess with the wrong person and I don’t want you to get hurt. None of us do-”

“But honestly! That idiot. Thinks the only reason a human could ever possibly be worth his precious time is if they’re willing to get on their knees every five secon-”

“Laurens. Seriously. Shut up. Ok? We good?” Mulligan was obviously getting incredibly annoyed with him, but his warning seemed less for his own good and more as if someone else would hear and get mad. “You know about Seabury, just-”

“Oh my God.” He held out the ‘o’ for an incredibly long time, throwing his head back. “Do you seriously pity him? He’s not worth that. There’s a reason the King treats him like that. He ain’t worth anything else-”

“Shut up! You’re upset right now, you know you would think otherwise. Okay?” Before Laurens could say anything else, Mulligan turned to Lafayette and spoke. “You okay, Laf?” 

Alex wanted to talk to Laurens, but he was stubbornly kicking at the ground with his hands in his pockets. His freckles were dark red, same as Lafayette’s eyes. Lafayette couldn’t see, well, he looked too distraught to care. 

“Oui, I, um, I just do not understand why he would say that. That is all.” Alex felt really bad. He didn’t know what was going on, but even when they were in the throne room he could tell that the King had crossed a line. Then again, he didn’t seem to have many rules to follow.

“Hey, he says a lot of things.” Mulligan hesitantly lifted his arm, but in the end, took Lafayette’s hand. “Don’t mind him, alright?” 

Laurens stopped, letting Mulligan and Lafayette walk forward, before he dramatically motioned towards them, gesturing for Alex to look. Alex smiled and waved him off, but couldn’t deny the happiness he saw at Laurens’s excitement. He wanted to ask why Mulligan defended Seabury and why Lafayette was so distraught over the King asking about Adrienne, but clearly, this was not the most appropriate time. 

“Yo, have y’all talked to Lee lately?” Laurens asked, trying to steer the topic away from where it was heading. Mulligan went to drop Lafayette’s hand, but Lafayette shifted his grip to hold Mulligan’s tighter. 

“No, I do not think so, mon ami. I do not go there often. The water does not respond well with me and my powers, so I have only met them once or twice.” Lafayette explained. “Mezzanine?” 

“Sure,” Laurens had crossed his arms, still smiling excitedly at their hand holding. “Well, Lee wanted to talk to me ‘bout something, I dunno what about, probably about how I never gave him those books back.” Mulligan snorted. 

Lafayette opened the door without knocking, and Alex almost asked why. If he remembered correctly, when he was first introduced to everything they needed to knock on the door to get into the mezzanine. Then again, that may have just been them trying to get Alex in the habit of knocking. There were significantly less people sitting around, only a group of people Alex hadn’t seen before and Price and Angelica. What a turn of events. 

“Guys, don’t make eye contact, just keep walkin’.” Laurens said, with clearly no attempt to make his voice quieter or prevent them from hearing. Instead, they both just turned and gave sarcastic smiles. 

“Ha ha, very funny, John.” Price started. Laurens perked up a bit, his fists tightening. 

“Don’t call me that,  _ Richard.”  _

Price simply shrugged. “Y’know, my first name doesn’t bother me much. I’ve never had much trouble with it. I’m pretty sure you have. Right, Jacki-”

“I swear to God, Price, if you want to finish that your head is gonna be on backwards and my shoe is gonna be lodged in your fuckin’ ass.” Laurens threatened, running towards Price and shoving his finger in his face. “You wanna say it again? Really?” 

“Well,” Price started. “I would finish it, but it would be so sad to watch a physical being try to beat up a wraith. Remember when you tried to punch me that one time? You broke your hand-”

“I wouldn’t test him, Price. This isn’t going to be good-” Angelica was cut off by Laurens speaking again. 

“Wow, my, my, my, I thought you and Angelica were just friends!” Alex side stepped a few times to see Laurens’s face, stifling a surprised snort at his freckles. Wispy grey, matching the same wide eyes that Price had adopted in his expression. 

“We  _ are _ , Laurens.” He hissed. 

“Well, from what I’m hearing you’d do to her- oh, wait.” Laurens laughed. “What you want her to do to you! What a turn of events! Price wants to be-”

“Fine! Just, go. Shut the hell up about it.” Laurens stepped away, smirking. His freckles returned to their natural state. “Quit the damn smirking, ya’ wanker.” 

“You don’t ever finish what you were gonna say, I won’t ever finish what I was gonna say.” Laurens crossed his arms and nodded. “Deal. I would shake your hand if I could actually touch you, oh wait, no I wouldn’t. G’night!” Laurens turned away, his hair bouncing with his step. Angelica raised an eyebrow at Price from where she sat, the newspaper in her hands not at all concealing the concerned expression she had. 

“I saw that comin’, y’know-”

“It’s called precognition, Angelica! I know you knew that! That’s the definition of your power!” Price continued rambling on frustratedly even as the four walked away. 

Laurens let out a relieved sigh, chuckling. “Oh boy.” He wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow. “That lil’ horny ghost is a hassle, but that’s why we love him.” He put his hands under his chin, grinning. His face grew solemn. “If I could kill him I would. And I will. If I ever find out how to kill a damn non physical being.” He groaned and leaned against the door opposite to the one they came through. 

“Wait, uh, why’d we even go to the mezzanine in the first place?” Mulligan piped up, confused

“Honestly, I just wanted to mess with Price. Damn, he gets me riled up. But once I tear him apart, I feel better. See?” He did a little pirouette. “All better.” He hummed as he knocked on the door, beginning to ask for permission to come in. 

“This kid,” Mulligan rested his weight on one foot and shook his head. “What’re we gonna do with him, Laf?”  _ Damn _ . No wonder Laurens pressured them so much on being together. They already acted like a couple. It was honestly, what, cute? Alex had just met these people and he was already imagining how cute they’d be together. 

God, he had to shake this. 

“I do not know, mon amour-”

“Not there yet-”

“One day! One day you will come to your senses and let me call you what we both would like you to be called, dearest. Until then, I suppose you shall just be ‘mon ami’. I will respect your choices, as well as your boundaries. Your head will remain unkissed and hand un-held.” He dropped Mulligan’s hand, laughing. The other two laughed with him. Another inside joke- well, the same inside joke they had laughed about earlier. 

As they were laughing, a small bell could be heard ringing. Laurens looked back at the door and opened it, letting a gust of wind through. Angelica yelped back in the mezzanine, the newspaper she was holding hitting her in the face. Before she could yell anything to the four, they were in the door and had shut it behind them. 

“Watch your step, Alex. Seriously, don’t fall.”  Mulligan warned. 

His warning was very helpful, as they began walking in a single file line down a thin stone bridge surrounded by what seemed to be an ocean. Alex felt nauseous. There was literally just ocean. There wasn’t a ceiling, it just looked like sky. It looked like there were two random doors and a bridge connecting the two in the middle of the ocean. 

“Yo! Lee? Reynolds? Y’all in here?” Laurens called. Despite the appearing infinite space, Laurens’s voice echoed. Almost as soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud splash. Alex nearly lost balance, but Mulligan caught him before he fell headfirst into the water. “Hey, Lee! It’s been a minute, eh?” Laurens took off his shoes and set them next to him, sitting down on the edge of the bridge and dangling his feet in. He didn’t seem to mind a quarter of his jeans were becoming soaked. 

Alex stared at the figure that was now resting on the bridge with their arms supporting them, lounging against the stone and smiling up at them. He had navy blue skin with baby blue vitiligo markings all over his torso and face. His teeth had small fangs on his canines, but he didn’t seem at all menacing. He actually seemed like the most friendly person he had met so far. They had a merman tail that was a shade or two darker than the dark parts of his skin.

“Yeah, it really has. Say, a little birdie, Martha Wayles, told me we have a new guest with us!” Lee, Alex assumed, looked up at Alex past Lafayette, who sat criss-cross on the ground. “What up, man? Hey, we haven’t had any new people in a year, right? Dang, this is pretty cool don’t you think? Wait, are you a human-”

“Hamilton, would you like to introduce yourself before Lee runs his mouth for five minutes?” Laurens asked, scrunching his nose at Lee playfully. 

“Well, uh, I’m Hamilton, like Laurens said. Uh, yeah, I’m human, uh, hah, that’s about it, I think.” Lee nodded, still smiling ear to ear. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hamilton.” He held out his hand (his fingers were all completely webbed), which Alex took. “Sorry to cut our get together short- wait, Lafayette? Mulligan? How’you guys been? Mulligan, have you been working out? because you look great- if I do say so myself. Are you two back together again? Honestly, it was only a matter of time-”

“We’re  _ fine _ , Lee. We’re having lunch together next week, remember? I’ll catch you up then, alright? Anyway, you had something you needed to deal with Laurens with. So should we leave you to it?” 

Lee’s mouth formed a surprised ‘o’ for a moment, before he started smiling again. “Ah, yes. Sure, sure, it’s not secretive, but I’m sure you all have more places to be. Say, has Hamilton been registered yet?” Lafayette nodded, giving the water one last splash with his hand before standing up again. 

“Yes, we just came from there, actually. Did not go as planned, but we got done what was intended.” Lee nodded, understandingly. 

“Alright. Well, I hope to see you around, Hamilton! It was a pleasure meeting you.” Laurens scooted towards the edge farther so the three could walk past. Alex smiled down at Lee.   
“Nice meeting you, too.” 

It was a short meeting, but it was quite relaxing after everything. They were out of the room as soon as they had come in, completely missing the other two merpeople watching them leave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you so much for reading!  
> Hey, I kiiiiiiinda followed through on my promise for plot? Maybe? Sorta? I dunno, I'm just gonna stop saying plot is coming.  
> So sorry for slow uploads! I regret to say that I will either post less frequently or my chapters will be much shorter.  
> I will probably go with the shorter chapters, as I would really like to give you all something more often than not. But bear with me if I can't!  
> There's a lot of ambiguity in this chapter, I know, but ambiguity is an author's best friend, and these plots will be revealed later!  
> As always, please comment! I love reading them!  
> Have a good day!


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not even going to pretend plot happened..... more characters.... I know, I know, I'm awful.

Lafayette had taken Alex and Mulligan into the library from the room with Lee in it, leaving Laurens to talk alone. He was muttering something to himself, vaguely sounding like Latin, but Alex wasn’t sure. Lafayette kept rubbing his eyes and yawning, each time Mulligan opened his mouth to say something, and each time Lafayette held up a hand to silence him. He certainly seemed like he needed to sleep, but he clearly had no intentions of doing so. 

After yawning for nearly the twentieth time, Mulligan spoke. “Look, I know you say you’re not tired, but you are. You haven’t slept in, what, three days? You’ve been up helping Madison with his work. Or you’ve been lying.” He teased. “I know you’re tired. That’s kinda my power.”

Lafayette chuckled and rolled his eyes. “No, I was helping him. He needed help with his studies and the relationship between France and ma très chère America. Obviously, he would go to me for help.” He looked longingly at one of the bookshelves, but let out a resigned sigh and looked to Mulligan. “Je suis assez fatigué, malgré ma confiance.” 

“Alex, what is he saying?” Mulligan groaned, fighting back a smile. 

“I, uh, he said that he’s tried despite his,” He cocked his head. “Confidence?” Lafayette nodded. 

“Well, what do we do with Alex?” Mulligan asked. 

“I can hold up by myself.” Alex suggested, crossing his arms and shrugging. “I mean, I can go to Madison, or Dolley. I dunno, maybe even Burr, if I’m that desperate.” Lafayette and Mulligan shared a brief look and laughed, even though Alex wasn’t kidding. Burr creeped him out. 

“I mean, I think he’s fine. Right?” Mulligan tried. At this point, a few heads had popped out from the aisles to look at where the voices were coming from. Lafayette grimaced, but nodded. 

“I trust him. You seem like a good man, Alexander.” Lafayette smiled at him. God, this guy was a demon? It was difficult for Alex to process that. Lafayette seemed like such a nice dude, the complete opposite of what he would imagine a demon as. Then again, he sure could pass as a demon. The red eyes and dark smoke kinda gave it away. _ Then again _ , everyone he had met so far looked far from normal. Hell, if someone introduced anyone he had met there to him more than 12 hours ago, he probably would have gone to church. 

Alex didn’t do that, surprisingly. 

“I trust him. You cool?” Mulligan asked, smiling at Alex. 

“Uh, yeah. Where are you guys gonna go?” Both Lafayette and Mulligan blushed, their expressions quickly changing from warm, to offended and surprised. “Oh, uh, shit, no, not what I meant. I just, uh, never mind. Don’t answer that, I wasn’t trying to be creepy, I swear-”

Mulligan laughed. “No, uh, no, it’s fine. God, you haven’t known Laurens for more than a day and he’s already corrupting you.” Lafayette raised an eyebrow. 

“Although, Laurens sait ce qui se passe, même si Hercules nie il.” He added with a wink. Hamilton forced a laugh. Again, he genuinely thought it was funny. He just didn’t laugh. Mulligan’s jaw dropped, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“Really? Really. That’s low.” He took Lafayette’s arm and began walking to the opposite door. “Once we’re out Alex, just open the door again. Alright?” Alex nodded, following the two. 

“Got it. I dunno, I’ll probably go somewhere with Madison or just wander around.” Once they got to the door, Mulligan turned around to him again. 

“I, uh, hm.” He thought for a moment, pursing his lips. “Don’t go into locked rooms. Like, uh, if you can’t open it, don’t go in. Except if you have the intention of going into Mads’s room. Then sure. But avoid just wandering. Especially ‘cuz, y’know, your first day, uh, you’re human… And so on.” He opened the door, stepping aside so Lafayette could walk in before him. “See ya’ later, Hamilton!” 

“Yes,” Lafayette poked his head back out. “I had the most amazing time meeting you, and I am so incredibly pleased that you are with us now.” And with that, Lafayette hurriedly pulled Mulligan into the room with him and they shut the door behind them. 

Alex was left alone, awkwardly shifting on his feet, trying to avoid any questioning gazes from anyone. Once the door had been shut for a good five seconds, he felt it safe to open it. Mulligan told him not to go into any locked rooms, but whatever. He was never gonna go anywhere actually interesting if those three were always with him.

He knocked on the door, hesitantly going to say something. Shit. The library was already really quiet, he didn’t want to make any extra noise. But the door actually opened. Very slightly, though. 

“Who is it?” The voice was low and whispered, like they knew the library was right there. Well this was awkward. 

“I, uh, I-I’m new here?” The person stopped for a moment before pulling Alex quickly inside the room, as if it were a crime to let anyone see that he was in there or that he had even opened the door at all. You see, Alex could tell why Mulligan warned him now. Evidently, being a stubborn idiot had it’s vices. 

“Please, don’t be startled.” The voice rang out. It took Alex a few moments to actually  _ see  _ in the room, it was so dark. Even after his eyes had adjusted, the only light came from a few candles scattered around the room. 

Jesus Christ, were there cults in the supernatural world? And had Alex just stumbled across one? 

Apparently not, as the voice chuckled and he heard a click and the room was illuminated with strands of white and pearl pink Christmas lights. Nice. However, Alex didn’t have much time to awe at the room as the person who’s room it was was speaking to him. 

“Trust me, despite the mysterious entrance, I swear I am not part of a cult.” Dammit. Another mind reader. Maybe? The person standing in front of them- well, towering above them- didn’t have any freckles to give it away. Maybe they got that often? 

They were tall, hence towering, but their curly hair must have added at least an inch to their final height. They were  _ insanely  _ attractive, their facial features more striking than Lafayette’s, who he looked extremely similar to. They had a very narcissistic expression and stance, accented by the way they leaned against an inky black cane they held in one hand. They were wearing a rather nice dress shirt tucked into pants, only they were a vibrant  _ magenta  _ (which they somehow managed to pull of?). Despite the, uh, magenta and black color scheme, two large, white, feathery wings extended from their back, so big Alex could see them standing in front of him. 

“My sincere apologies if I startled you, I can assure it was only for precautions as you were in the library.” They had a heavy southern accent. “I’m Thomas Jefferson, pleasure to meet you.” They held out their hand, and when Alex took it, they held it gently and leaned down to kiss it. 

“I- oh, uh, hah, I’m Alex- uh, Alexander Hamilton.” When Thomas straightened back up, he ran his hand through his absurdly curly hair, that managed to look incredible all the while. 

“What a lovely name. Suits you, love.” He smirked. Alex felt heat rise to his face. “Please, don’t stress over what I say. Or what I do for that matter.” Thomas reassured him, stepping aside to motion to his room. It had a very boho theme to it, the magenta fluctuating through it. The lights were pretty, and there were large plants all over. It seemed very messy, but a good kind of messy. Like an intentionally cluttered area for aesthetic effect. It had an overwhelming smell of expensive cologne, but under that were scents of different flowers. 

“Would you like anything? I’m currently brewing marigold tea, have you ever had that?” He stepped over to the small kitchen in the corner of the room, carrying on with his business as if Alex was an old friend. He was gracious of the turn of attitude, worried that every person he met would have an equally as extravagant reaction to meeting a human. 

“Uh, no. If you have extra, I would love some, actually.” Thomas smiled over his shoulder at him. 

_ What the fuck??  _

Was he gonna kill him? Should he accept food from this guy? I mean, other than the suspicious entrance and slightly condescending appearance, he seemed like a nice guy. 

“So, you’re the new human, hm?” Thomas asked. He was still facing away from him, but Alex could hear the exasperation in his voice. 

Alex jumped a bit, his heart stopping and his foot began tapping against the floor unconsciously. Dammit, Thomas Jefferson. He racked his brain in the seconds he had before he had to answer for any mention of him. He sounded familiar-

“Uh, yeah. H-How, uh, did you know?” Thomas turned around with the kettle in his hand and set it on the table (also a shade of reddish brown, like cherry). He shrugged. 

“Word spreads fast, and I have my sources. Humans have always fascinated me.” He motioned to one of the chairs. “Please, sit down.” Alex hesitantly stepped forward and sat in one of the pulled out chairs, folding his hands in his lap.  _ Thomas Jefferson.  _ He sounded so familiar. It was killing Alex that he couldn’t place it. 

“Oh, uh, can you tell me who told you?” Wow. Award for most subtle investigation goes to Alex. Jesus, he just sounded terrible. He wanted more than ever to stand up and walk out of the room. Honestly, the door to leave was directly perpendicular from where he was sitting. He could just get up and walk out. Mulligan would be mad that he went in here. For some reason that was bothering him more than anything- This was definitely Thomas’s fault. He did something. 

“Well aren’t you a sweetheart?” Thomas smiled, pouring the tea into two matching teacups. “Nevermind that, Martha likes to gossip.” So Martha. As Thomas handed Alex one of the cups, he let out a silent sigh of relief. 

Martha Wayles was dating Thomas. Madison had a crush on him, and from what Laurens, Mulligan, and Lafayette said, it seemed like Thomas liked Madison more than Martha. He was an angel (that explained the wings). It was as if mentioning Martha just handed him all the information already brought up to Alex. 

“Oh, hah, I’ve met Martha before.” Alex said, taking a sip from the cup. It just tasted like any old herbal tea. It had a more medicinal taste, if that made any sense. It had an aftertaste of something like a cough drop. But it was good. “She’s nice, I guess.”

“You guess? She’s a darling, but she’s hardly someone I would call nice. She does seem to like you, though.” Thomas moved to sit on the counter, crossing his legs. Alex uncomfortably shifted under Thomas’s studying gaze. They sat in silence for a few moments, until Thomas’s face broke into a smirk. 

“You’re quite pretty, Alex.” 

“W-Wh, uh, what?” He jumped, setting the teacup down on the table. “Sorry, but… hah, um, pardon?” 

Thomas chuckled and slid off the counter. He walked to the seat next to Alex’s and sat down, the teacup still in his hand. “You came in last night, correct?” 

“Wait, uh,” Alex shifted again, furrowing his eyebrows. “How do-do you know that?” Thomas shrugged, 

“Well, once again: Information spreads fast. Don’t dwell on how I know. All that’s important is that I know.” 

“Uh, yeah. It’s true,” Thomas nodded. 

“Have you been registered?”

“Yeah,” God, as if he already wasn’t regretting going in, Alex was surer than ever that he should have heeded Mulligan’s warning about only going into unlocked rooms. As if the creepy lighting and mysterious reveal weren’t enough, Thomas’s unapologetic ambiguity was pissing Alex off. 

“Interesting. You’d think that Laurens and his gang would be most wary of introducing anyone to others that Burr brought in. Hell, don’t even get me started on bringing a human in. Who was all there during your registration?” 

Alex paused for a moment, thinking. “Well, um, Paine and Steuben brought us in, the King, and um, one last person- oh, Seabury, and then there-”

“You met Seabury?” Thomas asked. He seemed worried about that. 

“Uh, yeah?” Alex let out a nervous chuckle. “Is that a proble-”

“I’m so sorry you had to be exposed to the treatment of humans, so early in your stay here.” He set the teacup down and slid his hand forward to touch Alex’s. His heart jumped, nervous under Thomas’s touch. His hand was cold, but only initially. Then his hand grew warmer, until Alex was concerned he was actually going to burn him. He tried to pull away, but thought that that wouldn’t have a good effect on Thomas. For some reason. “I see that Lafayette touched you.” Alex’s face flushed (for the millionth time in the five minutes he had known Thomas) and he chuckled nervously (also, seemingly the millionth time in the five minutes he had known Thomas). 

“Wait, uh, hah, um, what? Er, wh-what exactly do you mean?” 

Thomas smiled at him, revealing blindingly white teeth with pointed canines.  _ Jesus Christ.  _ “On your cheeks. What do they call them?” He took his hand off Alex’s and moved it to his cheek, running over the rough patches of skin that Alex had entirely forgotten about. “Finger hickeys? Right?” 

“I, uh, I think? I don’t really remember, they said it earlier an-and, um…” Thomas moved to rest his hand under his chin and just shook his head disapprovingly. 

“Such a shame.” Alex raised an eyebrow. 

“Why? Uh, you didn’t really explain fully the first time, so can you explain now?” Alex was beginning to lose his patience.

“I just think that it was unkind of them to bring you to one of the most cruel shows of human treatment here.” Thomas stated matter-of-factly. 

“I’m sorry, can you stop being all vague? I don’t really know what-”

“Seabury is treated terribly, I want you to know that.” Thomas took another sip from his teacup, closing his eyes and giving the slightest of frown. 

“Y’know, here’s where I don’t really believe you. Like, don’t get me wrong, uh, you seem like a great guy. You really do, I mean, you let me in you give me tea and you give me advice. But, um, Seabury’s treated really well? Like, the King seemed pretty happy for him to be there, clearly-”

“You see, Alexander, these are the problems that you come to when you’re here for a day. You go to one of their meetings, trust me. Hell, if you’re in the same room as them or you happen to walk in on them somewhere, trust me. Seabury is quite literally the definition of a disrespected mistress.” Alex chuckled, but his face went solemn once he realized Thomas wasn’t kidding. “He’s allowed into the Assembly meetings simply because the King needs something to keep his mind off of the actual shit going on. Seabury doesn’t really speak for himself. Ever, really. Except for what he wants in  _ that  _ realm of wants.” 

Alex was still skeptical, though. “I still don’t get it. Like, sure that may be a bit unhealthy, but let them do whatever-”

“Alex. It’s not just them. Humans just aren’t treated well. Whether it be simple service to freedom. Look, just, don’t let yourself wander into a room with a supernatural who’s ever had anything against humans.” Well, that was difficult as Thomas, if he remembered correctly, wasn’t always entirely for humans. As if nothing-  _ nothing-  _ had convinced him to leave so far, this is what pushed him over the edge. 

He stood up from his seat, nervously, smiling awkwardly at Thomas. “I’m gonna go-”

“Now wait, wait, wait. I hope you don’t think that you should fear me. I promise you, I have no intentions of anything negative with you.” Thomas stood up with him, facing Alex. “Despite things you may hear, I’m not a cruel person. True, I do have underlying tones of assertive nature but that’s hardly a problem with you, love.” He took a hand and put it under Alex’s chin. Thomas flicked his wings it seemed like, maybe he was stretching them? Then again, Alex wouldn’t have been surprised if he were doing it simply for intimidation of some sorts. 

“I, uh, I’m not sure what you mean, really?” Thomas moved his hand to touch along Alex’s jaw and neck. Alex shifted uncomfortably under his touch, a bit annoyed at the feelings that were stirring in him that he definitely couldn’t ignore if he wanted to. Thomas could definitely tell this as the smirk on his face wasn’t entirely unsuggestive.

“Darling, I know you know what I meant, but if you really don’t, I’d be happy to explain to you.” He winked. 

“Oh, no, I knew what you meant, I just was…” Well he called his bluff there. Thomas only laughed again and moved his hand to the back of Alex’s neck and played with his hair for a moment, sighing. 

“Then why'd you ask me to explain it, love?” 

“I dunno, I just-” 

“You wanted me to say something to you that you liked?” Alex's face flushed. Thomas went to take down Alex’s hair. Their first meeting was taking quite a turn, but Alex wasn't opposed to where it was going. “Now, I think-” 

There was a loud knocking at the door that interrupted Thomas. He seemed a little annoyed as he dropped his hand from Alex’s hair. Alex  _ was _ annoyed. “Who is it?” Thomas called, walking over to the door. Alex admired his wings behind him, reflecting the pink light in Thomas’s room ever so slightly. Alex almost laughed at himself. He had just met this man, yet he was completely down with going where Thomas was clearly intending the situation to go. 

“Hello, is Alexander in there?” Thomas looked back at him for a moment but went to the door and put his hand on the handle to open it. Burr was standing in the doorway. 

“Well, Burr. Quite a surprise, I’d say.” Burr didn't give any reaction. Instead, he looked past Thomas to Alex, his stern expression turning to one of relief. 

“Alexander, I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” As if Thomas had let him in, Burr shoved past him and patted his shoulder. “Where have you been?” 

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Uh, getting registered? Hah, was I supposed to go back to you? Or something? I didn’t know that was the expectation-”

“I thought that was a little self explanatory.” Burr chastised him, akin to a scolding teacher. His arms were crossed and everything. Alex scoffed, confused.

“I, uh, I wasn't really expecting to go back? Why was it self explanatory? Like, at all?” Thomas was looking back and forth between the two, but Burr kept a deadpanned look locked on Alex. 

“I brought you in here, it makes a lot of sense for you to come back to me when you're done.” This guy. Alex sure didn't like being treated like a kid, but he was even more bothered that Burr was actually mad at him for it. “Look, just come with me?” Thomas nodded at Alex, giving him a silent command of sorts to go with Burr. 

“Fine,” Alex tilted his chin up stubbornly, but he quickly regained a casual stance once he realized just how the parallels fit between him and a child arguing with his father. 

“Thank you. Thomas, thanks for looking after him.” Alex almost laughed out loud at that one.  _ Seriously?  _ This Burr guy may have bright him in, but he sure wasn’t his favorite person he had met. Once they reached the opposite door, Thomas let out a disapproving chuckle. 

“Y’know, he ain't a  _ dog,  _ Burr.” But by the time he had finished saying it, they had already walked out the door.

______________________________________________________________________

 

“Honestly, Alexander.” Burr started, kicking at a rock under his foot. He had taken Alex to a sort of garden area, it seemed. Much like the ocean room with Lee, the sky appeared to be never ending, but clearly it had to end somewhere, right? It was a room, anyway. There was a rather peaceful river flowing down the center of the room, quite wide and quite deep from what Alex could tell. There were trees, countless plants and flowers, and overall, it looked just like a meadow in a forest. Except there were quite a few scattered nymphs, humans, and other creatures around.

“I told you to get registered. You'd think you'd be smart enough to know to go back to my place when you were done.” 

“But you didn't-”

“Honestly, I'd be surprised even if you were registered. What? You went with those three, correct?”

“Yeah, and I did-”

“Pfft, the King hates Laurens enough in the two times he's ever encountered him, you'd think that the moment he walks in it's a definite ‘no’ to whatever he's asking for.” 

“Does the King ever leave the throne room?” Alex asked. He said it relatively fast as he was nervous Burr would interject and start speaking again. Burr thought for a moment, sitting down on a rock next to the river. Alex did as well, right next to him. 

“Well, clearly he goes to his chambers at night, uh, he goes to his dining hall where the Assembly eats,” he paused. “The Assembly doesn’t eat meals with everyone else, they're too stuck up for it. But yeah, sometimes he goes into the ballroom when the Assembly throws balls-”

“Like, dances?” Alex asked, cringing. 

“Well yeah? They've really stopped having them, though. Something about how there isn't much room to just hang around. I don't know, they keep a lot of information close to their chest. But yeah, if he isn't sleeping, you can bet he's in the throne room.” Alex nodded. 

“Where does, uh, Seabury go?” Alex asked. As much as he already hated him, Mulligan seemed pretty concerned about him. Burr just snorted, though. 

“He goes with the King. Trust me, the King never lets him out of his sight. Seabury left a few times to go to the library alone and the King was furious.” Alex frowned. 

“That seems a little possessive, don't you think? That can't be a very healthy relation-”

Burr outright laughed at that point. “Wait, really? You thought they were in a relationship? No, no, no, Seabury’s the King’s plaything. Charlotte’s in a relationship with him.” Alex’s frown only grew solemner. He decided that it was better not to question it so early after his arrival. Maybe that was normal? Again, first day there. Alex racked his brain for anything else to fill the silence. 

“Who's that girl Jefferson brought in?” Burr raised an eyebrow at him. He looked like he was going to answer, but he shut his mouth. “Ally? Wait, Sally. She’s named Sally, right?” 

“Yeah,” Burr lifted his knees up on the rock and rested his head on them, staring wistfully at Alex. “That’s her name.” 

Alex gestured uncomfortably. “Uh, thanks? That doesn’t help, like, at all?” He waited for Burr’s response. “Do, uh, do people know her? Like is she social?” 

“I don’t know…” Burr sighed. “You’re pretty, Alexander.” 

Alex held up his hands defensively and leaned away from him. “W-Wait, I- um, sorry?” He laughed uncomfortably (actually laughed, for once) and his eyes widened. “Y’know, I’m flattered, but no thanks? I guess?” Burr looked a bit offended as he said this, sliding his legs back down. Alex subconsciously shifted farther away from him, startled as his hand missed rock. 

“What about what Jefferson was doing?” Burr looked more angry than annoyed. Alex laughed again. 

“I, uh, why is that important-” 

Before Alex could even register that Burr had even moved, he was kissing him. His hand was on his jaw, just like Thomas’s fifteen minutes before. Only Thomas hadn’t kissed him and he was  _ incredibly  _ more charming than Burr. 

_ Burr was kissing him. _

Alex was stunned for a moment, but he was able to regain his senses to shove him away. 

“What the _fuck_ , dude?!” He yelled, standing up. Burr stood up in response.   
“Sorry!” Burr didn’t seem very sorry. It sounded more like he was just saying that for Alex to stop being so loud. Alex could see out of his peripheral view that a scattered few beings turned to stare at him. “I just-”

“No, really, what the hell? I met you, what, yesterday?!” Alex backed farther away from Burr as he stepped towards Alex.

“I’m sorry, y’know…” Burr stopped for a moment. “Like I said, you’re pretty, and-”

“Okay?!” Alex yelled again, more creeped out than anything. “Stop saying that! And why the hell would that make it okay to kiss me, you fucker-”

“Alex, please keep your voice down, there are kids here!” Burr warned. He wasn’t lying, Alex could see what appeared to be an offended mother with her hands over her son’s ears. 

“Well maybe, uh, I dunno, don’t kiss me!” Alex screamed this time, shoving Burr away as he approached. 

Burr looked angry at this point, his eyebrows furrowing and his hands curling into fists. “Why are you so angry about it! I said sorry?” 

“It’s none of your business why it bothers me so much!” Burr really didn’t know. Alex didn’t have much self-respect back in high school and his first years of college, and he let himself get tossed around a lot. One night, someone took it too far and is wrecked him. Burr didn’t have any right to be mad at him for being angry. 

“Maybe if you told me, I wouldn’t’ve kissed you-”

“It doesn’t matter whether or not I told you, bastard! And there’s no way in hell I was gonna tell you! I met you last night, idiot!” Burr took a few steps towards him, bringing up a hand to point in his face. 

“Look, I brought you here. You respect me-” 

Alex almost punched him in the face, but decided to rather knee him in the groin at the last second. Burr doubled over, groaning. “I’m gonna go now, stay away from me.” 

Alex turned on his heel, trying his best not to turn around and face Burr.  _ Dammit _ . If there’s anything he had learned in the time he was there, it was that humans weren’t respected  _ at all _ and that rumors spread  _ fast _ . God, he didn’t even know what time it was. 

He just kept his shoulders back and walked to the door, but nearly sprinted there once he heard Burr call his name. The door swung open and Alex slammed it shut and ran into the room at full speed in the span of two seconds. Apparently you shouldn’t run full speed into rooms without looking, because Alex was back in the ocean room with Lee. He reached the center of the thin walkway and stopped (he was sprinting full speed, remember?). 

Alex made a mental note to himself. Don’t stop abruptly in the middle of a walkway that’s only a foot wide. Alex already had crappy balance, and he wasn’t thinking very clearly- just cutting to the chase: He fell. He fell into the water. 

The initial thought was how  _ freezing  _ the water was. The second was that he had to stay afloat. He peered under the water and didn’t see any bottom and he didn’t feel any floor when he fell in, and this place didn’t really seem to follow any normal physics, so Alex decided it was better safe than sorry to assume there was no bottom. He gasped for air as he reached the surface, grasping at the walkway he fell from. It was slightly dirty and Alex grimaced as he felt the mud and dirt on his hand, but was thankful for the walkway anyway. 

He sat there for a few moments, taking in deep breaths. He lost his breath from surprise for one, and then another two parts for not responding quick enough to take a deep breath. After sitting there for a moment, he began debating how he was gonna get back on. He tried to lift himself up, but a voice stopped him. 

“Yo, who’re you, man?” The voice was low and accented, similar to Thomas’s. Alex craned his neck around to see who it was. They weren’t Lee (although he knew that), but they were a merman. His tail was a dark purple-ish red, his skin crimson. He had a light stubble on his jaw and chin and his hair was pulled back into a bun. “Answer me.” They demanded. Alex was still shaken up about falling in and being scared half to death by this guy. 

“I, uh, Alex- wait, Alexander. Hamilton, uh, if you need t-to know my last, uh, name.” The man scowled. 

“You sound like you’re lying. It sounds like you just made up your name.” Alex’s heart skipped a beat. 

“W-Wait, no, I didn’t-”

_ A hand grabbed his ankle.  _

Much to Alex’s annoyance, he let out a high pitched screech and curled his legs up to his chest as tightly as he could. The man didn’t laugh, instead, he glared at the water that was calming down around Alex. 

He disappeared under the water for a moment, and Alex briefly thought of different ways to live without his feet- until he surfaced again. This time, his hand was clenched around a woman’s upper arm, so tightly Alex was concerned. It looked like someone put a blood pressure cuff on her arm and tightened it all the way. 

She looked pretty similar, Alex actually wondered if they were siblings for a moment, but he concluded they definitely were not once he saw their faces. The woman looked  _ far  _ more like Jefferson and Lafayette than she did the other guy. “James, please-” 

“Maria, shut the hell up, please?” The man, James, asked, his voice singsong and gentle, his hand lifting her chin. The girl, Maria, messed with her hair so a large part of it fell over her eyes. It was wavy and thick, to her chin, but it looked like it would be to her shoulders if she straightened it. She had a light dusting of golden freckles, matching her eyes and joints. She was pretty, ridiculously so, but Lee and Reynolds were too. Her tail was a dark red, so her and Reynolds looked similar. 

“James, really-”

“Baby girl, please. C’mon, alright?” James taunted again, his tone akin to a teacher trying not to lose their shit on a classroom full of screaming toddlers. 

“Wait, so you’re James, and you’re Maria?” Alex asked, calming down a bit. James seemed relaxed, but Alex had never met someone who looked so uncomfortable and tense as Maria. 

“Call me Reynolds. Only lovelies like Maria get to call me James.” He winked, leaning on the walkway and resting his head on his arm, looking Alex up and down. “But with you, I’d consider.” He bit his lip. 

“Oh, I, uh, thanks?” Honestly, either Alex was much prettier than he thought (modestly, entirely), or the beings here were a  _ lot  _ hornier than the regular human world.

Reynolds cocked an eyebrow. “No, really. Why don’t we hop out of here and-” Alex cut him off to ask a question. It wasn’t hard. He was talking slow. 

“Wait, but you’re a mermaid, right?” Alex asked, confused. For a moment he was concerned he said something offensive, but Reynolds answered. 

“Hon, Maria and Lee are mermaids. I’m a siren.” Well that explained a lot. “I can change my physical appearance depending on, y’know,” He winked. “My partner.” 

Alex blushed, but he couldn’t help but feel a little envious of whoever he was with. Reynolds was incredibly attractive- Christ, the horniness was setting in on Alex. Or, uh, maybe the siren-ness? Was that a thing? “I don’t really know what you mean- Well, no, I do, I, uh, I just-” He stopped, uncomfortably shifting his legs to hide how, um, excited? He was getting? “Are you offering? Me, I mean?” 

Reynolds only moved closer taking one hand down from the walkway and moving it in the water. “I dunno. Are you accepting?” His hand moved towards Alex’s leg, and Alex almost answered, but there was the opening of a door before he could get a word out. 

“Al-Ale-Alexander?” There was a soft voice calling Alex’s name. He blinked and looked to the direction of the voice, an overwhelming sense of relief as he saw Madison walking towards him. “D-Dude, wh-what are yo-you doing here?” 

“I, well,” Alex stopped when Madison held out his arm. He grabbed it, mostly getting up himself. He didn’t expect Madison to be very strong, so he was prepared to help himself. Madison was putting the effort in, and that’s really all that mattered to Alex. “I was with Burr, but he was being a dick, so I ran in here. I fell in, and the rest is kinda history.” He immediately felt himself relax around Madison. His power was healing, maybe it worked for trauma too? 

“W-Well, can you c-co-come with me? Y-You’re go-gonna be freez-freezing.” Madison warned. Alex wasn’t tall. He was only five foot eight, but Madison was a little past his shoulder. He wasn’t any less reassuring, though.

“Alright. Uh, bye, guys.” Alex gave a half-hearted wave when he turned around, but both of them were already gone. “Oh,”

Madison gave a small giggle. “All th-the m-m-merpeople-” He caught himself. “And sirens are pr-pretty reclusive. T-They only re-really come ou-out when th-there a p-poss-pos-” He stopped and closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. “Possibility of get-getting anything o-out of a p-person.” He was breathing heavily, like talking that long was hard for him. It probably was. 

“Makes sense.” Madison opened the door into his room. Another wave of relief crashed over Alex when the door shut behind them. The scent of nutmeg and peppermint was there again, odd, but calming. 

“S-So, H-Hercules and Lafa-Lafayette did a t-terrible babysitting job.” Madison teased, walking over to the pile of pill bottles and taking two of the bottles. His hands shook a lot. Alex could feel it a bit when they were walking back, but he could see it a lot when he was trying to open the bottles. “C-Can, uh, can y-you op-open these for m-me?” 

“Yeah, man, of course.” Alex took them from him. He had a desire to ask what all the pills were for, but he clearly could see the moral wrongness in that. 

“I’ll t-tell you w-why I ne-need s-so much once I-I take i-it and let it kick i-in.” Alex let out a silent sigh of relief. Madison took a small cup from the cabinet and filled it with tap water, washing down maybe four pills. The cup had Disney characters on it, like one that you would buy at a Disney store when you were seven. Alex felt a pang of sadness at that, but Madison put the cup away before he could get any more depressed about his lack of a childhood. 

“How many do you take each day?” Madison held up a finger, signaling for him to wait a few moments. Alex nodded. 

“J-Just, give m-me like fi-five minutes. He-Here, do you w-want to change?” Madison asked, motioning to Alex’s still soaked clothes. 

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Madison rushed over to one of his drawers near his bed and pulled out a pair of black leggings (Alex hadn’t worn leggings since he was sixteen and going through a rather rebellious feminine stage) and an oversized sweater with a small graphic of a dog. 

“I-It’s a little childish, I-I know-”

“No, it’s great.” Alex smiled. Madison flushed red and handed Alex the clothes. “Thank you so much, Madison.” 

“No pr-problem. Also, you can c-call me Mads if y-you want. The bathroom is r-right over there.” Madison pointed in the direction of the bathroom and began making tea on the stove. Alex went into the bathroom to change, uncomfortably taking off the soaking sweatshirt he had been wearing since he passed out at Burr’s apartment. He rested it over the side of the bathtub, which was a standing tub with golden feet. Alex smirked as he looked around the bathroom. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think this was some Instagram model’s bathroom. There were bobby pins, a glasses case, a bottle of concealer and mascara (Alex almost outright laughed at those), and then the regular toothbrush and toothpaste. 

Alex finished taking off the rest of his clothes, putting on the ones Madison gave him. Alex wasn’t skinny, but he was definitely on the thinner side of healthy. Madison, he didn’t really know because he couldn’t see him pass his clothes. Made sense, as the sweater he gave him was probably six times bigger than Alex needed it to be. Madison was smaller than him. “Huh,” Alex looked at the wall behind the bathtub. There was a small indent in the wall that had a basket full of bath bombs. “What the hell…” 

He didn’t know Madison very well, but he really liked him. He walked out, leaving the clothes to dry over the side of the tub. He walked out again, taking his hair out of his ponytail and running his fingers through it a few times. “Did you hang them over the tub?” Madison asked. He spoke very slowly, probably so he could guarantee he wouldn’t stutter. 

“Yeah. Your bathroom’s nice, I like the bath bombs.” Alex teased, sitting at the kitchen counter. Madison blushed and pushed his glasses farther up on his nose. He chuckled, the smoke blew out of his mouth. It was similar to in the cartoons when a character got mad and smoke comes out of their ears and mouth. Only Madison was much less intimidating and much more cuddly. 

Madison reached over near the sink and took some hand sanitizer, much more than what Alex would expect. 

“Thanks.” He rearranged the pill bottles on his counter, his eyes widening. “Oh, uh, want me to explain? It’s probably a l-little weird to have a mi-million pill bottles.” He poured himself a cup of tea, gesturing to an extra cup. “Do you want one?” 

“Yeah, sure.” Madison poured Alex a cup, sliding it across the counter to him. “So, what are all of them for?” Madison took a sip before answering. 

“Well, I’ve got specific anxiety sedative for my stutter,” He still spoke very slow, but Alex understood. “Regular anxiety medication, uh, antide-depressants, some OCD medication, and two allergy medications, and then for my cough.” 

Alex’s eyes widened and he leaned back a bit. “Geeze, you okay?” 

Madison chuckled. “Uh, yeah, hah, I have a lot of problems, but that’s w-why I got med-medi-medication.” He took another sip. “No biggie, though. I like healing other people, s-so it’s ok-kay.”

“Wait, do your medical problems have something to do with your healing power?” Alex asked, leaning in to listen to him closer. He always tried to do that. He knew that was the best thing other people could do when talking to him. He just felt like they were listening more. 

“Yeah. Basically, because I c-can strengthen other people’s immune systems, mine just kinda k-keeps declining.” 

Alex nodded and took a sip. “Yo, is this, uh, is this marigold tea?” It had the same medicinal tang that was familiar from Jefferson. 

Madison raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, how’d you know?” 

“Oh, uh, I was with Thomas earlier and he gave me some. It was good.” Madison perked up at the mention of Thomas. 

“W-Wait, uh, y-you met Thomas?” Madison asked, excited. 

Alex nodded. “He was nice. You two are dating, right?” 

“No,” Madison regretfully shook his head. “He’s technically da-dating Martha W. Well, he do-doesn’t like her very much, but she really likes him.” He stopped. “Don’t, uh, don’t tell her I said that.” 

“I won’t.” Madison really liked him, evidently. Then again, Alex had met Thomas. He didn’t blame him. “So, how long have you and Jefferson been together?” 

Madison thought for a moment. “Well, I don’t know what other people have said, I don’t listen to what people say about us because most of the time they’re incorrect. We’ve been seeing each other for, uh, five? Six years?” Alex whistled. 

“Wow, that’s a long time. Can you guys get married here?” He asked. 

“Well, y-yeah, but the length of t-time people a-are together is a lot l-longer here. Like, Martha and G-George Washington w-were together f-fifteen years before they got married.” 

“Goodness. Are you ever going to get married?” 

“N-No. He’s probably g-go-gonna marry Martha.” Madison’s gaze shifted downcast. “I dunno why. He do-doesn’t love her, bu-but…” He thought, thinking. “I don’t know. H-He’s gonna marry Martha, though.” 

They sat in silence for a while. 

“That sucks.” 

“I’m used to it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellloooo! Thank you so much for reading!  
> So sorry about the lack of posting, things have been crazy and I really haven't had time.   
> I'm off for Easter, so I'm going to try and type as much as possible.   
> If I can't post very often, bare with me! After my shows and rehearsals are over, I promise updates will be more regular.   
> Again! Please comment any thoughts!   
> (((((ps anyone listen to Dear Evan Hansen?)))))


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrienne finally shows up in the flesh  
> Laurens and Madison are there  
> Alex is thrown in the middle of everyone's problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1000+ hits??? Thank you all so so so much, I can't tell you how much it means to me. Love you all.

Madison had dulled down a bit after they spoke about Thomas, but he wasn’t separating himself from the conversation. Alex appreciated it, but he definitely regretted bringing it up. Madison knew a lot of things. He told Alex about how everyone came in and how people found them. He learned that Laurens came in alone and was found by Mulligan, and that’s why they’re such good friends. Thomas and Lafayette came in together, a  _ long  _ time ago, and knew each other really well beforehand. They came in early enough that the doors were open to all supernaturals. As in, before you had to be escorted in. 

He realized why people liked Madison so much. He was just a sweet person. Alex didn’t like referring to people as loveable, but the word genuinely fit Madison. He didn’t move quickly- Alex would say he was sluggish, but he was still lively. He also nodded when Alex spoke to him. It as like that thing teachers did when you were answering. They nodded to show they were listening. Like what you said was actually important. 

“Yo, did I meet everyone here?” Alex asked, leaning across the counter on his elbows. 

Madison let out a giggle, his nose scrunched up and his eyes shut. Whenever Madison laughed, the pink smoke that came out of his mouth would puff out in large gusts. It was cute. “No, not at all. I don’t know if they told you, but there are a lot of people here.” He took a few deep breaths before continuing at his slow pace. “There are hundreds of supernatural beings here, most likely thousands. A few less humans, but still a lot.” Alex furrowed his brows.

“I just don’t get it, though. Burr was the first person I had ever encountered that was a supernatural- well, that I could tell- but still. It doesn’t make sense to me.” 

Madison paused and twisted his mouth. “Well, just put it into pers-perspective. There are, what, seven or eight billion people in the w-world? There are maybe two thousand supernaturals here s-since I last checked, so that’s 1.4% of the entire world population if you’re going with the lower number.” 

Alex scoffed. “How do you even know that?” Madison shrugged and adjusted his turtleneck. 

“I dunno, really. I like stat-statistics and stuff-”

“No, like how do you know the number? Like did you do it in your head?” Madison raised an eyebrow, but then he smiled. 

“Oh, yeah. I’m really good at math. I skipped a bunch of grades before I came here. I w-was a freshman when I was nine.”

Alex let out a low whistle. “Damn. On the contrary, I had to be held back in eighth grade.” Madison giggled. 

“But, yeah, about the supernaturals. You just have to think about it. Most supernaturals come from closer to the equator. I don’t know why, n-n-none of us r-really do, maybe something about magnet-magnetic pull and stuff- but yeah. That’s about i-it. There are a lot o-of us, but not ne-nearly as many as the full population.” He looked at Alex. “Th-That was probably too much explaining f-for something not th-that complicated.” Madison chucked, but Alex shook his head. 

“No, I like how you explain it. Most people, y’know, they just tell you a one word answer and leave you with that. You also seem to have a lot to say, so I’ll let you talk.” Alex smiled. 

Madison opened his mouth, but then coughed and shifted in his seat. 

“So, uh, how is Thomas? I mean, I-I know you met him, but do you like him?” He seemed nervous to ask. Like he was afraid of what Alex would say. 

Alex thought for a moment, his hand under his chin. “Well, he’s kind of intimidating. I was uncomfortable most of the time. He was a little too forward with things.” 

Madison looked near offended. “W-Wait, you didn’t like him?”

_ Shit. _

“No, I was just a little intimidated by him, that’s all. He seems pretty cool, I swear. Just,  _ him  _ mixed with everything else was a little overwhelming, y’know?” Madison shrugged. Alex had to change the subject. “So, uh, how did you two first meet?” Madison looked up from staring into his tea cup. 

“Huh?” He thought for a moment. “Oh, hah, it was pretty funny. Can I take some more medicine? I want to before I tell stories, o-or it’s really an-annoying.”

“Sure, I don’t mind.” They sat talking for a while about little things until Madison said he was alright. 

“Okay, so as you probably know by now, Jefferson came in here a long time ago. So I’d actually ask him about anything here, he knows a lot of the really close-kept statistics and stuff. Anyway, I was brought in by Laurens with Dolley and we kinda hung together for a while until Charlotte ran into her and decided to take her around and she left me behind.” 

“That’s sad.”

“No, hah, not like that. Jefferson and I were already starting to talk to each other. So once Dolley left, Jefferson offered to take me around. Most people get a really formal tour, like someone takes them around everywhere and shows and explains everything so they aren’t asking questions all the time.” Madison paused to raise an eyebrow at Alex, who threw his hands up defensively. 

“Sorry! Burr kinda just dropped me off like ‘yo, go introduce yourself to a bunch of people who don’t really like you’, and that was it. Honestly, I don’t really know what I should be asking-”

“Alex,” Madison interrupted him. “I was joking.” Alex was quiet. “Anyway, Jefferson was taking me around- sorry for getting side tracked again, but do you want me to tell you like the full story of how we got together?” 

“Sure, I don’t have anywhere to be.” Madison smiled at him. 

“So, we must have been walking around for like a day together- there’s a lot of stuff to see here- and Jefferson eventually invited me back to his place. Well, we had sex and stuff-”

“Wait, you had sex the first time you met him?” 

Madison blinked. “Yeah? Oh, well I don’t mind about that kinda stuff. One night stands were pretty usual for me.” 

“But he’s a demon?”

“Angel, Alex.”

“Still! That seems a little risky, if you ask me.” 

“You do you, man.” Madison took another sip of his tea. Alex was intrigued with this kid. How was someone so anxious so chill with everything? “But, anyway, we hung out a little the morning after and…” He twisted his mouth. “I dunno, he told me he loved me like a year after that and we’ve just kinda been on that term ever since.” 

“That’s cool,” Alex scratched the back of his head. “So, how many rooms are here-” 

The door knocked. 

“Ugh, sorry, Alex. People are probably hearing about you and coming over to see what all the fuss is about.” 

Alex chuckled. “Well clearly, you’re looking at what all the fuss is about. I’m pretty great.” Madison stared at him blankly, no expression visible to show if he understood the joke. “Get it? Because-”

“I get it, I just think you overcompensating how humorous and great you are isn’t very amusing.” 

Damn. Alex felt his face start burning. 

Madison didn’t say anything as he walked over to get the door. “Who is it?” 

“James?” A low voice flitted through the door. “I was just wondering if Mr. Alexander Hamilton was in your room.” Madison silently groaned and put his head against the door. 

“Who is it?” As the person replied, Madison looked at Alex and mouthed ‘she’s crazy’. 

“Who?-”

“Darling, you know who it is. Let me in, please.” Madison widened his eyes and pursed his lips, but obliged. “Thank you,” 

Alex recognized her from her portrait, but Adrienne was much more intimidating in person. The moment she walked in the door, the room had a hint of French perfume. It wasn’t the best smell (then again, Alex didn’t like perfume), but it was definitely romantic. She held her cane up to Madison, shoving it in his chest for him to take it. Her fingers were long, tipped with sharp black nails, and the smoke around her quickly filled most of Madison’s room. 

“Adrienne, the smoke doesn’t clear for a while, did you seriously-”

“My dear, they weren’t kidding when they called you a beauty.” Alex raised an eyebrow. 

“Who the hell is “they”-”

“James, who taught him?” Madison rolled his eyes at Adrienne, who furrowed her thin eyebrows.

“Taught me, excuse me, but no one  _ taught me- _ ”

“Have you been registered with the King yet?” Adrienne asked, moving closer to Alex. She didn’t make  _ any  _ facial expressions when she spoke. The best way Alex could describe her was like the lady from the Addams Family movie he watched as a kid. Morticia Addams? She gave off a very Morticia-ish vibe. 

She was far more attractive, however. 

“Yeah, why?” As Alex answered, Madison flailed in the background, clearly trying to tell him something. He could piece together that he shouldn’t have been speaking to her like this, but Alex was a very stubborn person. 

“Then you clearly know how to respect someone of higher rank than you. Unless, of course, you threw yourself at his feet and demanded to serve as his lap dog, then I would see your reluctance to show me any decency.” She belittled him, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms, adopting a mirror image of the way Alex was looking at her. 

“Well, how was I supposed to know you were of higher rank than me?-”

“Adrienne! Why’d you want to meet Alex?” Madison was steering the conversation away from where Alex was going, but Adrienne looked furious. But she didn’t. She just widened her eyes and parted her lips a bit. Her face still didn’t move to show any expression. Just a little nod to what she was feeling. Nothing more. Out of context, Alex would have no recollection that she had even moved a muscle. 

“I was wondering if I could take him to a party with me. You know I love to introduce new guests to a little tango, hm?” Madison glared at her, and then to Alex. 

“Adrienne, c’mon, he got here. He’s probably tired out of his mind.” 

“I am. I haven’t slept in more than twenty-four hours-”

“Trust me, it’ll wake him up a bit.” Adrienne smiled at Alex. “I think a bit of a dance wouldn’t hurt him, James.” 

“Fine,” Madison moved back around the table to sit where he was before and waved Alex up. “Go with her, I dunno, leave if you have to.” Madison’s voice was all slurred, like he was drunk. 

Alex stood up, cowering away from Adrienne. She held out her hand to him. Alex didn’t take it. 

“Come on, darling, warm up to me a bit.” Alex took her hand, biting the inside of his lip. Out of all the people who had touched him that day (a sentence he had really hoped he wouldn’t have to say), she evoked the strangest feeling. Her hands were like ice. Quite literally. Alex wasn’t overreacting. He pulled away, but Adrienne shifted her grip to his wrist. “If you pull away, you'll never get used to my touch.” Alex just stared at her, and then to Madison. He looked like he was about to fall asleep. 

“Just go with her.” He mumbled, burying his face into the crook of his elbow. He mumbled something else, but Alex couldn't tell what he said. 

“Come along now, love-” Alex yanked his hand away from hers, furrowing his eyebrows. 

“No- wait a minute. Madison, should I-”

“Alexander, I’ve already asked you once, I don’t like to repeat myself. I promise, James would be entirely fine with you joining me for a dance, he always is.” Alex was still entirely skeptical, but he gave in and took her hand again. This time, Adrienne closed her fist around his hand with an iron grip. “Precautions, love.” 

“Yeah, okay, whatever.” Alex mumbled a stream of (probably very offensive to her) phrases at Adrienne, but she didn’t hesitate with whisking him out Madison’s other door and into a hallway. “What’s with the hallways in this place, anyways?” 

“Well, you see, my dear, any room that is considered private- but not a residential area- has a hallway. The mezzanine, for example, is a public area so there is no hallway. Your apartment, on the other-”

“I don’t have one-”

“Yet, my dear, and besides the point.” She glared and squeezed his hand painfully tight. “ _ Anyone’s  _ room is a private residency area, so there is no hallway and the door is locked. Now the throne room, whilst still a private area, it is not a residency area, thus it has a hallway and the doors are locked. My ballroom is neither a public area nor a residency area, so it has a hallway.” 

Alex clicked his tongue. “Oh, so it doesn’t have anything to do with how important the room is? Because if so, I was starting to wonder why your ballroom was of such high importance.” Alex snorted and continued walking to the opposing door, but Adrienne ripped his arm back and leaned down to his face. 

“Listen, darling.” Her voice was edging raw fury, but her face didn’t show it except for the baring of teeth and her slight furrowed brows. “I do not tolerate disrespect and I’m not going to start with you. You respect me, and I treat you more than garbage. Do I make myself clear?” Something about the way she said it. Whether her tone or just the pure knowledge of how powerful she probably was, something scared Alex more than anything else had thus far.

He had never nodded so quickly. Sometimes he forgot that he wasn’t just speaking to other people. These weren’t even  _ people _ . They were called supernaturals for a reason. He was bound to get hurt at some point- but, not at that moment. 

Adrienne leaned back up, eerily blinked a few times (her eyes weren’t matched up, almost like an old doll that didn’t function as well as it used to), took a deep breath and continued on to open the door. It was almost as if that didn’t even happen. She took the door handle in her free hand and swung the heavy door open. Adrienne, Alex was learning, didn’t really wait for you to be ready. If she was ready, she just went, and you’d have hoped you were ready as well. 

The ballroom looked similar to the throne room, only it looked more fit for a royal party. There was an oversized chandelier on the ceiling that illuminated the room in a soft, pale, blue light. The floor was shiny marble, seemingly unfit to dance on, but the guests seemed to think otherwise. There was music playing. Alex looked around to see where it was coming from, but he saw that there was only a quartet of string instruments resting on stands and ornate display tables. The bows were moving and the strings were being pressed down at the correct spots. 

“Please excuse some of the guests, most of them have been dancing quite a lot lately. Their feet are tired.” Adrienne mentioned, pulling Alex to the dance floor with her. 

“Why don’t they just stop dancing?” Adrienne chucked. Like what Alex asked wasn't a legitimate question. 

“The orchestra is a bit mesmerizing, if I must admit.” She winked at Alex, but he turned away soon enough that he didn’t see it. 

“This place is nice.” Adrienne stood out like a sore thumb compared to everything. She was dressed in black and reds, but the ballroom had a color scheme of whites and pale pastel colors. Even the other guests were dressed in white period clothing.

“I know. It’s a reflection of me.” Alex wanted to laugh, but he had learned that lesson and was not about to be killed. Adrienne wouldn’t  _ kill  _ him, he thought, but it was safer to not take that chance. “Never mind the room, I brought you here to dance with me.” She positioned Alex with her, only she made the decision for her hand to be on his waist and Alex’s hands on her shoulders. She was taking the more dominant role in this dance and Alex had no other choice than to become the submissive one. Great. 

“I don’t dance, though-”

“You don’t have to. I’m leading you, aren’t I?” Adrienne smirked at him. Alex was learning a lot about her very quickly. Like she loved interrupting people if she felt as if they weren’t intelligent enough to continue talking. “Just follow my feet. It’s a simple time signature, you’ll catch on quickly.” 

“I don’t know what time signatures are-”

“Love, I would appreciate it if you were quiet and just listened to the music.” Alex felt his face get hot and he looked at his feet. Adrienne started dancing, humming along to the music as they danced. Alex stumbled for a bit, but he was completely thankful that Adrienne didn’t make a comment about him. He thought she would. Instead, she looked at the other people dancing on the floor, raising her eyebrows and smiling as she made eye contact with some of them. She had a gorgeous smile. Her teeth were perfect. 

Even though Alex could see how Adrienne called the dance easy, he was struggling with how awkward it was. It was entirely silent except for the stepping of feet and the music. He needed to say something to Adrienne and start a conversation before he got too anxious. The only issue was: He suddenly forgot everything he had ever been told about Adrienne. She was associated with Lafayette in some way, he thought. Right? He didn’t even know what her power was. 

“So, uh, you know Lafayette?” Alex tried. Adrienne stopped for a moment, her eyes widening and her smile faltering. If Alex didn’t know any better, he would have thought she was angry at his mention of Lafayette. But it didn’t last long. 

“Yes, love. I’m married to the demon himself.” 

“Wait, is that, like, a pet name or something?” He smoke with gaps between all the words, prepared for Adrienne to interrupt him, but she never did. 

“You could say that.” Alex giggled. He was slightly taken aback by himself, but he didn’t care for some reason. The waltz was calming. “He is a demon, so it is quite fitting, I’d say.” Adrienne leaned her head down and kissed Alex’s forehead. 

Almost like she flipped a switch in his brain, Alex fell into the dance as if he had been taught it professionally. Just as that happened, he could hear his heartbeat in his head as loudly as the music. Like when Adrienne kissed his head she also made him hyper aware of anything producing a beat in the world. The beat in the music, their steps on the ground, his breathing, his heartbeat,  _ Adrienne’s  _ heartbeat-

“Darling, I think we can pick up the pace, hm? I invited you to tango, if you must know.” She snapped her fingers. Alex dazedly looked to where the quartet was a moment ago, surprised to see the instruments had all changed. 

“W-What did you, uh, hah-” He broke off into a fit of giggling, but he was silenced when Adrienne began moving much quicker. Alex caught on quickly. 

“Yes, I do know Gilbert. He’s a darling, but he is prone to an attitude.” Adrienne clicked her tongue and pursed her lips. “He thinks he’s more powerful than me. A shame, too. He definitely used to be.” Adrienne kept ranting about Lafayette, but Alex was gone. It was probably the fact that he hadn’t slept at all since he got there. Honestly, it wasn’t like his time there had been uneventful. Alex wanted to fall asleep. 

It almost seemed like he did for a moment, because the only thing that broke him out of a blind daze was another guest. Adrienne wasn’t paying enough attention to steer Alex away from another pair. His back made hard contact with the other person and he turned his head to look at them. Alex makes eye contact with them, but he  _ doesn’t.  _

Their eyes were entirely glazed over. 

Their eyes looked as if someone had painted over them with a clear paint, obscuring their view and making it nearly impossible to see their irises and pupils. Alex dropped Adrienne’s hands and backed away from both of them, startled. They looked like a  _ corpse _ . They were thin, their cheeks and eyes sunken and they stood like the only thing keeping them up was an invisible string from the ceiling. Were they  _ dead _ ? 

The serene and dazed feeling Alex was covered in a moment ago was wiped away into pure dread. The person jerked, their face almost offended as Alex gaped at them. 

“Wh-What the fuck-”

“Alexander, love, don’t be frightened-” Adrienne put her hand on Alex’s shoulder, but he shoved her off. 

“No, what the fuck is going on-” Adrienne grabbed Alex’s face, akin to a parent about to scold her child for acting up. 

“Do not be frightened, Alexander. These are my friends. They are your friends. Hasn’t your mother taught you not to be afraid of others because they’re different?” She pouted. Alex fought to get her hand off of his jaw, but she was strong. So all he could do was hold onto her wrists and put on his most stone-cold face.

“My mom’s dead.” Alex spat at her, sad when he didn’t see any spit hit her face, it more just dribbled onto his chin uncomfortably. Adrienne raised her eyebrows, unimpressed. 

“That explains your problems with manners, then.” Adrienne pouted again, squeezing his face one last time before leaning back up. “I’m dreadfully sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.” 

“I, uh, I guess it’s okay.” 

Alex looked around, once again incredibly uncomfortable. Everyone in the room had continued dancing, but they were staring at them. They all had the same eyes. Alex knew Adrienne did something to them, but he didn’t know what she was, so he couldn’t tell what she had done to them. 

“What’s wrong with all of them?” Alex asked, backing up away from Adrienne. She followed him, not menacingly (for once), she just tilted her head and followed him as he asked. 

Adrienne caught his wrist before he fell off the ballroom floor, pulling him closer to her. She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned her head down to kiss his cheek. Alex could definitely tell at this point that Adrienne was fucked up in some way because once her lips made contact with his cheek, he calmed down. 

It was like he was  _ high _ , honestly. All the percussion came back too. Adrienne moved him slowly to face her, her hand gently on the bottom of his chin. She grinned and breathed into his face, a gesture Alex would usually highly unappreciated, but her breath smelled like roses. He was hit with another wave of tranquil feelings, his legs nearly buckling beneath him. 

“I’ve been waiting for another, truly.” 

Alex giggled, the same giggle he had before. “Another what?” Adrienne pulled him close to her, brushing some of Alex’s stray hair around his face to his ears. 

“Another you. You’re special.” Alex blinked, his ears ringing. Adrienne seemed so kind, so gentle. Why did Lafayette tense up when he was talking about her? She was so nice. She was really pretty too. 

“I’m-” His head was pulled back as Adrienne pulled his hair at the roots, humming to herself. 

“You’re what, love?” 

“I’m really, really tired. Can I go to bed?” Adrienne twisted her mouth, her tongue flitting out of her mouth like she was about to say something. Instead, she just bit her lip and raised an eyebrow. She was beautiful. 

“Soon, dear. But as for now,” She leaned down, cupping Alex’s face with her hands. Was she going to kiss him? Alex wanted to kiss her. He couldn’t feel anything but her hands, see anything but her face,  _ think  _ about anything except for her lips on his body and his hands on hers-

“OH,  _ FUCK  _ NO!” There was a loud slam as the door Adrienne brought Alex through was swung open and hit the wall behind it. Adrienne dropped Alex and rushed away from him, and without the support, Alex fell onto the ground, hurting his elbow. “Adrienne, I swear to God if you-”

“I wasn’t planning on it, John.” Adrienne calmed someone, but Alex couldn’t see who it was. Alex shook his head a few times, nauseous. He could still hear all the percussion, only it was less calming and more obnoxious. He could hear rapid footsteps on the ground coming towards him, and when Alex turned his head he saw Laurens kneel down next to him. 

“Open your eyes.” He demanded. Alex raised an eyebrow but complied, crying out as Laurens shined a flashlight in his eyes. 

“Ow, what the hell?” Alex shoved him away, but Laurens grabbed his wrist and pulled him close to him. He hugged Alex, his arms tightly clasped around him. “Laurens, what are you-”

“Thank  _ God  _ you’re fine.” Laurens pulled away, his expression dripping with fury. 

“Wait, what even happened?” Alex asked, still confused about the whole situation. 

“Adrienne is a full on  _ devil _ . Or easily put, a bitch mixed with a slut rolled into a God awful body-”

“Dude, chill-” Alex was interrupted. 

“Shut the fuck up, Alex! She could’ve killed you-”

“Love, I didn’t try anything on him.” Adrienne put a hand on her hip and shook her head. Laurens looked entirely unimpressed. His freckles changed to dark red for a moment and he snorted. 

“You did try to lie to someone who can read minds, dipshit.” Laurens hissed. He stood up and walked towards Adrienne, his fists tightening. Was he going to punch her? Apparently so. He held out one arm and reeled back, aiming for her head. It was a wasted effort, however, because Adrienne held up a hand and blocked the blow. Laurens backed away, holding his fist. “Ow, ow, ow,” He continued on with this. Alex remembered how he reacted when he couldn’t get Burr’s coffee machine working. Shit, Mulligan was great at calming him down. 

“You bitch! I fuckin’ hate you! You think you’re so great yet you turn around and bitch and moan to Lafayette and hit-” 

“I suggest you shut your mouth, John. You wouldn’t want to say something you regret, and I think your little friend wants to go to bed.” Adrienne spat, actually conveying an emotion. Fear, actually. 

Laurens turned back to Alex and held out his arm. “C’mon, you need to get some sleep, dammit.” Alex stood up with Laurens’s help. The calming aura around Alex was entirely gone at this point. 

“Thanks,” Laurens began walking to the door on the other side of the ballroom, but not before turning back and flipping Adrienne off. He opened the door and decided to say something else to her. 

“You’ll get what’s comin’ to you someday!” 

“Okay, darling.” Adrienne taunted, but Alex dragged Laurens through the door before he could fight her longer. Once the door was shut into Laurens’s room, Alex turned to him. 

“Okay, what the hell was that about?” He took a breath. Laurens’s room smelled like Alex’s dorm when he was in college. By that, he meant it smelled like weed. “Your room smells like weed.” 

Laurens had his back turned to Alex and when he turned around, he was holding a joint in his hand. “Yeah, I smoke pot. It helps with the anger shit.” Alex nodded. Despite the overpowering scent of marijuana, Alex also smelled oranges. Laurens was weird. But Alex liked him. 

“But, really, what was that about?” 

Laurens sat on his bed, lounging against the headboard. “Adrienne is a succubus. Back when she came in, she was able to fuck any random sleeping person she wanted, but that obviously didn’t bode well with most people here, so now she just puts them in a daze forever. She drains their energy and they stay alive by feeding off of hers. Then again, they ain’t really alive. Since the new rule of no humans, she hasn’t been able to get anyone else. She tried with Sally once, but Jefferson just about lost his shit when he found out.” He took a long breath from the joint before continuing. “I guess when she heard you were here she saw a chance and took it. I’m gonna beat Madison’s ass when I see him next. But yeah, I pretty much saved your life.” 

Alex stood there, a little speechless. He didn’t know what to say. The realization that he almost just died hit him, and that wasn’t necessarily a feeling you would ever want to feel. “Uh, thank you.” 

“Don’t sweat it, kid.” 

“Kid?” Alex snorted. “Aren’t we the same age?”

“One,” Laurens fought a smile. “I call everyone kid. Two, no, I’m probably like two hundred years older than you.” 

“I don’t believe you.” Alex challenged. Laurens gave in and chuckled. 

“Want me to go get the records from Schuyler? I will if you want me to-”

“No! It’s fine, I was just messing with you.” Alex looked around. Laurens’s room looked like a modern college kid’s room. He seemed like he was that age, anyways. “Can I go to bed? Sorry to end the party early, but I’m really tired.” Laurens nodded, scanning him up and down.

“You wearin’ Mads’s clothes?” Laurens asked. 

Alex looked down at the oversized sweater he got from Madison. “Oh, yeah. I’ll sleep in it, it’s fine.” 

“I have that couch over there, so I can sleep there and you got the bed?” Laurens suggested and stood up. 

“Sure,” They switched spots (Laurens didn’t bring a pillow or a blanket) and settled in. Laurens’s bed was really comfortable (it smelled like weed, still). “Hey, thanks again, Laurens.” 

When there was no reply, Alex sat up to look. Laurens was already asleep. Alex leaned back down and stared at the ceiling. He had a feeling. Like if he fell asleep, he would wake up back in his apartment. He was still in denial that what was happening was even happening at all. 

Alex was willing to take that chance, however, because of how tired he was. Maybe this was his life now. His life had been altered this dramatically before when his mother died, and he assumed that if his life had been altered once when he was young, what’s to say it wouldn’t change again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse for how long this took. School was insane, and once summer started, I banned myself from writing until I got the things I needed to do done.  
> But I'm back and I'm in the game again, so try to forgive me!  
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> If you're new, hi, you didn't have to deal with the hiatus.  
> If you're coming back... Hi again, sorry about that.  
> Please comment anything you want to say! It makes my day when I see your comments and I appreciate every one.  
> I will be back on track for next week. <3


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex goes to a meeting, invited by Burr.   
> Plans are discussed.   
> Lots of technical explanations in this chapter.

Alex was never a morning person. He  _ really  _ wasn’t a morning person when other people woke him up. This negative feeling was further solidified when you were woken up by someone you didn’t like. In this situation, Burr was standing above Alex’s face, grinning ear to ear. 

Naturally, Alex screamed. Once the memories with Burr clicked in his brain, he jumped to the other side of the bed. “Get out.” Alex wasn’t ready for Burr to do anything else. 

Burr clearly knew what Alex was referring to, as he quickly held up his hands and smiled uncomfortably. “No, no, no, Alex, I promise I’m not here to do anything. I wanted to take you somewhere.” Alex narrowed his eyes. 

“Yeah, to try and make out with me again-”

“Alexander, I promise. I just want to try and be friends with you. What I did was disgusting, and I swear I won’t do it again.” Burr seemed sincere, but that was too generic of an apology. 

Alex raised an eyebrow and got on his knees to look him more directly in the eyes. “Just letting you know, that’s the exact phrase people tell you to avoid when you’re in an abusive relationship.” Alex half teased him, half was serious. Burr took it like he was teasing, as he just chuckled and sat on the bed. 

“I’m honest. I don’t know what came over me. I think you were chill enough that you would be fine with it, but looking back on it, I had no idea what could have happened to you. I know this probably means nothing, but I really am sorry.” Burr tilted his head, not chuckling anymore. 

Alex let out a resigned sigh. “Alright, you drive a hard bargain.” He turned away from him to swing his legs off of the bed. “But sure. What were you planning?” 

Burr pumped his fist, grinning again. “Alright! Okay, so, I’m a designated recruiter. That means it’s my job to go out and get people to come in. Make sense?” 

“Yeah,” Alex began redoing his ponytail, which had fallen out in the middle of the night. 

“So I get access to Assembly meetings. I wanted to bring you.” Burr smiled. Alex raised his eyebrows. 

“That sounds cool. But I’m a human?” Alex winced. “I’m just kinda assuming they don’t want a human there, but I dunno.” 

“I’m impressed.” Burr nodded. “No, you’re right. Well, I could make you invisible, if you’re fine with it.” 

“Seriously?” Alex hated how excited he sounded.

“Yeah! I’ve got the power of invisibility. I can make myself invisible or, clearly, make others invisible.” Burr crossed his arms, sounding very impressed with himself. “Trust me, I don’t have to kiss you to do it.” He let out a laugh, but Alex remained stone faced. “Too soon?”

“Hell yeah.” 

“Alright,” Burr held up his hands again. “But yeah, I just need to grab your forearm and you grab mine and yeah, then you’re invisible.” 

“So when does it wear off?” Alex walked around the bed to face Burr, not getting an answer. “Does it wear off? Isn’t that the thing with invisibility?” 

Burr just snorted and raised an eyebrow. “No? That happens most of the time in human stories. Probably to provide plot.” He winked. 

“Oh, so if you decide to not turn me un-invisible again, I’m just a poltergeist for the rest of my life?” 

“Basically. But there are enough magical beings here that you could get un-invisibled. That’s not a word, and I’m aware.” He stood there for a moment, but then spoke again. “We should leave soon. The meeting starts at 2:00 so, we only have a few minutes.” 

“Wait, what time is it?” Alex asked, alarmed. 

“1:53. You slept really long.” Burr pointed out. 

“No shit.” Alex commented, looking around the room. “Where’s Laurens?” Burr thought for a moment. 

“Oh, he was in the mezzanine for breakfast earlier. He was with Mulligan and Lafayette.” Burr let out a bark of a laugh. “He was actually yelling to Madison about something involving you, but I don’t really know what about.” He looked expectantly to Alex. After sitting for a few moments, Alex gasped. 

“Oh, yeah I know what happened. Adrienne invited me to a ball, or something, and, yeah…” Alex assumed Burr knew what he was referring to when he nodded and clenched his jaw. “So, we should probably, uh, go, right?” 

“Oh! Yeah, we should.” Burr turned to walk out the opposite door, checking to make sure Alex was following him once he turned the handle. “I’ll turn you invisible once we get in, ‘kay?” Alex nodded. 

They walked into the hall with all the portraits, Burr breaking into a bit of a skip. Alex looked at all the portraits, his eyes meeting with Charlotte’s- well, portrait Charlotte. Alex smiled at her, a warm feeling bubbling up in his chest. He really liked Charlotte. He hadn’t even met her, and honestly, she could have been the meanest person in the Assembly from what he knew about her. But he  _ really  _ doubted that. He looked around at the other portrait who all returned his neutral glances with vicious glares. 

Alex accidentally made eye contact with Adrienne’s portrait. They really kept up with the events. She winked and bit her lip, but it was almost as if someone whispered to her what had happened. Her seductive expression shifted to a malicious one as she bared her teeth and sneered at him. 

“Well, God, she’s touchy.” Alex mumbled. Burr heard, and  _ luckily _ , Adrienne didn’t. 

“Okay, come over here and I’ll do the spell.” Burr waved him over, his voice much softer. Alex assumed because it was by the door. Then he vaguely remembered Mulligan and Laurens explaining the sound thing. Alex decided Burr was just a weird person. Then again, he definitely already knew that. 

“So, what do I do?” Alex scratched the back of his neck. 

“Again, all I need you to do is hold out your arm.” Alex followed. “I’m gonna grab your wrist, and you can grab mine or not, it doesn’t really do anything.” Burr gently grabbed Alex’s wrist, probably nervous he would jump away. Alex considered, but didn’t. 

“That it?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, just give me a moment to actually do the spell.” Burr closed his eyes and mumbled really softly. Alex tried to hear what he was saying, but it wasn’t coming out clear. It probably wasn’t English. Alex stared at his arm, expecting it to disappear. He looked up at Burr, who was finished with the spell. 

“Wait, but I’m not invisible.” Alex looked at his hands, distressed. “It didn’t work.” 

Burr shook his head and waved his hands. “No, it’s alright. Like, when humans were pretty new in the world, any supernaturals with the invisibility power would run into things and end up getting hurt because even they couldn’t see where they were going. If you couldn’t guess, that wasn’t very beneficial for whatever they were using invisibility for. Then, thanks to evolution, the powers changed so whoever was invisible, they can see themselves.” 

Alex crossed his arms. Well, Burr couldn’t tell, but Alex did it. “That seems useless.” 

Burr scoffed at him. Alex believed Burr when he said Alex was invisible because when he raised an eyebrow at him, he wasn’t even looking at Alex. He was looking next to his head. “Trust me, you’d be surprised how difficult it is. Think about how much you look at yourself when walking around. You rely on your sense of sight more than anything, especially with yourself and how you’re moving around.” 

“That makes sense. Wait, you can hear me right?” 

Burr rolled his eyes. “Did I or did I not just respond to your question?” Alex smirked to himself. 

“Touché.” Burr put a finger to his lips and knocked on the door. 

The little slot opened in the door (Alex had somehow gotten familiar with the sound in the two days he had been there). A pair of red and purple eyes glared out at Burr. “Who is it?” Steuben barked out at him. 

“Aaron Burr.” Steuben looked down for a moment and Alex could hear the flipping of pages. “Mm, last time I checked, you aren’t a member of the King’s Assembly, Mr. Burr.” Steuben looked back up. “Sorry, can’t come in-”

“I’m designated recruiter? Remember?” Burr tapped his foot and put a hand on his hip, leaning closer to the door. 

Steuben changed his expression (from what Alex could see). Alex couldn’t see Burr’s expression, but he assumed that Steuben was making fun of Burr. “I don’t see you there. Remember?” He was definitely making fun of him. 

“Look, go ask Paine. They were there.” Burr challenged. Steuben shook his head. 

“Nope. I couldn’t see it. If you need Paine to back you up on it, I don’t believe-”

“Need Paine for what?” Burr let out a sigh as Paine’s reddish orange eyes came into view. They narrowed their eyes and raised an eyebrow, “Burr? Oh, dude, you should be in here.” 

“See!” Burr stuck his tongue out at Steuben (Alex had to stop himself from outright laughing at how immature it was) as Paine opened the door for him. “Thanks, Paine. You need to start controlling Steuben more.” 

If he wasn’t looking for a sign, Alex would have missed the way Burr looked back at him to signal for him to walk in behind them. Alex took the message and ran in behind him. He was concerned he wouldn’t get through the door, but Burr made sure to take long enough that he would be able to get in. 

“Y’know, we’re all supposed to start in like three minutes, but everyone’s here.” Paine said as they walked to their seat at one part of the table. Steuben did the same, but he glared at Burr the whole time. “So, I took a few notes the last time, and I think we should go over those first.” They opened a notebook on the table and began flipping through the pages with a claw. Alex wondered how they wrote without hands.

“Pardon me for a moment, Paine.” The King held up a hand for him to stop. “I have had something on my mind for quite some time, and I think it’s important to get that across first.” Paine looked at him and nodded. They really seemed to like the King. 

The King leaned on the table and tapped his fingers together, furrowing his eyebrows in thought. “I want to start expanding.” 

There was a collective gasp from the room. Adams (Alex thought it was Adams, at least) leaned in closer in contrast to everyone leaning away. 

“Wait, you haven’t allowed expansion decades. Why would you change the rule now?” 

“Because, you see, Adams,” Yeah, it was Adams. As the King spoke, he looked at Seabury who was sitting across the corner to the King. He snapped his fingers at the boy, stifling a chuckle as Seabury jumped. “You all already know that we are able to sustain the boundaries between our world and theirs thanks to the energy here.” Seabury got up and moved to sit on the King’s leg, toying with the hand the King had  grabbed his with. “Well, turns out energy begins to drain once boundaries have been shut for more than two decades. I don’t know how much is left, nor do I know when it will not be strong enough, but I do know some of the exits into their world have broken down.” 

Angelica hissed through her teeth and scratched her forehead. “What have we done about it? I know me and Manning have had to shut down areas if we notices any activity in and out of the doors.” 

“Precisely.” The King leaned forward to kiss the back of Seabury’s neck. Alex didn’t want to say anything, but he thought Seabury looked uncomfortable. Of course, he probably was, but Alex almost felt  _ bad  _ for him. He snorted. He covered his mouth when he saw Price turn around, confused. But Alex couldn’t help but laugh at himself for feeling bad for someone as low as Seabury. He put himself there, anyway. 

“We’ve been keeping track once the barriers shut down and then closing off the rooms. So far, we haven’t had any recorded cases of humans getting in unintentionally. On my record, Mr. Hamilton was the last human in and the only reason was because Charlotte convinced me to let the scum in.” There was resonating laughter around the room. Burr, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table from Alex, looked around the room uncomfortably. Alex looked around to find Charlotte (chuckling to himself when he remembered he had never really seen her besides her portrait). 

She looked  _ really  _ uncomfortable. Alex looked back and forth between Charlotte and the King. “Excuse me, I was trying to be polite. I didn’t want the poor kid in here not knowing what to do and feeling like he has to hide.” She scoffed. “Can you focus on the meeting? For once, George?” She put her hands on the table, her ginger hair falling onto the wood. 

The King glared back at her, his lips still pressed in the crook of Seabury’s neck. He pulled away. “My dear, I think we should keep this meeting out of personal affairs. I don’t know what problems you may have currently, but let’s keep those until the end of the meeting.” Alex really hated him, but he couldn’t deny that he seemed really under control. Alex made a mental note not to ever get in a fight with him. “Anyway, we have been shutting down different areas, but that has become very detrimental to the fluctuation of energy here. Paine, can you explain?” 

Alex was noticing the way Paine and the King communicated. The King’s voice softened just a bit, Paine smiled a bit, and of course, Alex wasn’t assuming they were having a secret affair, but he definitely though the King liked Paine a bit more than everyone else. 

“Of course, your majesty.” Paine nodded and flipped through the notebook they were looking at earlier. “Well, as his majesty stated earlier, we need energy to continue keeping barriers up between us so humans can’t just wander in. But after being closed for so long, energy has decreased. Burr was the last recruiter out. Mr. Hamilton isn’t going to provide nearly anything for the energy here because he’s just a human.” 

The King continued to kiss Seabury as Paine spoke, cruelly staring across the table at Charlotte the whole time. Charlotte tightened her fists and glared right back at him. Alex really felt bad for her. 

“So in order to anything for our energy, we’re going to have to start recruiting more supernaturals or we are going to have to risk being exposed to humans and the media. I, personally, am a contender continuing recruitment. The Washingtons, Burr, and maybe Manning can go out-” 

“We can’t keep sending out recruiters for weeks and bringing back three people if we’re lucky. Paine, I respect your opinion, but I want to shut everyone in. We can send a few members with human forms to recruit supernaturals and humans. Humans are easy to get in. I mean, Burr went out for a day and came back with Mr. Hamilton, so if we can get a few out and keep them out for recruitment. Once the humans are in, we shut down exits for anyone except for certain people that I’ll address privately.” The King suggested. 

Paine looked at him, their eyes widening. “W-Wait, would it be a rule in place, or would the doors literally be locked for everyone?” 

“Locked. I can’t trust most of the people here, so I can’t put the fate of this place in the hands of them.” The King explained. 

“Excuse me,” Angelica started, raising her hand politely. The King nodded at her. “Why don’t we lock everything up and then start expansion? If we balance out energy income and outcome in expansion, we can start expanding. If we expand in the right areas and subtly enough, we can end up gaining more energy than we expel during expansion.” She shrugged. “Just a suggestion.” 

Charlotte started speaking before the King could even open his mouth. “No, no, no, not happening. Expansion in high energy income areas is too risky.” 

“How?” The King challenged. 

“George, you know why not.” Charlotte scoffed, crossing her arms. 

“No, my dear, I don’t think I do.” He teased, biting his tongue and grinning. Charlotte was fuming at this point. Everyone else in the room seemed to lean away from the center of the table, staring at either figure at both of the ends. “Please, explain.” 

Alex could see Charlotte digging her nails into her palms. “That would cause too many issues in the human world. It would mess up the atmospheric pressures, even. We live in a place not grounded on a physical plane, once we tamper with their world too much it would harm them-” 

“Charlotte, tell me something.” The King leaned on the table, forcing Seabury off of him and back into his own chair. Everyone took his stance. Everyone else in the room started staring down Charlotte, confused glares plastered on their faces. “Why do you give a damn about what happens to them?” There was an outburst of chuckles and agreements from the entire room. 

Charlotte’s ears turned bright red and she looked just about ready to cry. “Well, I’m sorry I’m a compassionate enough being that I don’t want to fuck up an entire species’s world just because I don’t have enough leg room anymore.” She spat. On cue, the entire table turned to look at the King simultaneously. 

“Well,  _ I’m  _ sorry that I’m not a pathetic enough being that I have to trick myself into thinking I’m kind by taking pity on a species like humans.” The King shrugged. Once the table started chattering amongst itself again, Charlotte got up and shoved her chair in, storming out the door. The room went silent until the door slammed and the clicking of her heels died away. 

“Did I say something?” The King asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. “I have a point. Look at us.” He gestured to the table. “Do you think the Lord created such beings for us to hide forever and have to create separate realms for ourselves? No, He created us to be treated like gods only lower than Him. King Khafre got something right when he treated Paine as high as they are. The Egyptians built monuments for us. The Greeks told fables of divine creatures that were worthy of praise and respect and sacrifice. What happened?” 

The table remained silent. They all looked ashamed of themselves. Alex found himself unconsciously stepping towards the door. He looked at Seabury (he figured after a speech like that, the only other person uncomfortable would be another human). His head was lowered, but his eyes were flitting from one person back to the King. 

“I don’t see why we feel the need to hold back on this. Charlotte is weak, we knew that already, however. She favors humans, doesn’t just tolerate them. She’ll try to stop us, but then again, she doesn’t make the calls here.” The King continued, but stood up. “Humans don’t deserve the careful treading we’re allowing them. They’re inferior to us.” He put a hand on the back of Adrienne’s chair. “You all understand, don’t you? They are less than us, and we shouldn’t perish to spare them.” He looked around expectantly. “Anyone?” 

There was a few moments when no one spoke. Adams raised his hand to speak. “With all due respect, your majesty, do you believe all humans should be treated with the same level of disgrace as you’re telling us they deserve?” Adams was clearly trying to hint at Seabury. Alex could tell from the way the King and Seabury responded. The King clicked his tongue and raised an eyebrow. Seabury tensed and stared at the ground, sinking against his chair. 

“Now, Adams. We all know you take Charlotte’s side on the matter.” The King moved again, taking long strides over to Seabury’s chair. “But, we all know I remain true to my word.” He reached around the back of the chair to touch Seabury’s neck and shoulders. “He knows his place. Don’t you, love?” He leaned down to smile at Seabury. Seabury nodded, keeping his eyes planted on the table.

The King frowned, taking a hand and grabbing Seabury’s jaw. Alex flinched as he yanked Seabury’s face towards him. “You look at me when I’m speaking to you.” He hissed through clenched teeth. Seabury nodded, his hands stopping halfway to the King’s wrists. Alex could only imagine it was to pull his hands off, but after they made eye contact, Seabury relaxed and his cheeks flushed. 

Alex had had the urge to leave for a while, but that little exchange between the two made him sick. He backed up to the door and found the handle, but froze. He couldn’t open the door- he  _ could _ , but no one knew he was there. Welp. He was stuck. All he could do was wait until either the meeting ended or someone came in or went out. 

“That’s my point, your majesty.” Adams pressed on. “Charlotte’s fear is justifiable. Once we get to a certain point in expansion, we can’t be hidden anymore and we must start living on a physical plane. What happens to the humans?” 

The King moved to sit back on his chair at the head of the table, Seabury following close behind him. “I don’t see where they would get in the way.” The King glared at him. Seabury sat on his leg again, sitting back far enough so he could turn his head to look at the King. 

“What?” Adams breathed, exasperated. “Of course they would get in the way! There are seven billion of them, and thry’ve proven to be unreliable! We can’t just go out and live peacefully with them!” 

“So what are you arguing about?” The King asked. He put his hands on the table so his arms were around Seabury. Seabury put his hands on the King’s forearms, nervously clenching and unclenching his hands. 

“We can’t just go out and kill any human who gets in our way!” Adams retaliated. The King grinned and shifted in his seat and Seabury’s breathing hitched. “You get so much enjoyment out of  _ that  _ one, yet you have so much apathy towards killing everyone else! If you want me to take your demands seriously, get your hands off of him and maybe I’ll-”

“You have no place in my personal affairs, Mr. Adams.” The King yelled. His voice echoed around the room. Everyone who already wasn’t looking at him snapped to attention. The King practically shoved Seabury off of his lap as he stood up. “Paine, go find Charlotte and bring her back, will you?” 

Paine stood up from their chair and nodded, bounding over to the door. The moment they opened it, Alex sprinted to slip outside, not giving a damn whether or not his feet made a sound on the floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you I'd be back!   
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Sorry for the short chapter! It was a busy week (again, I know), but I liked this one and found it fitting.   
> The plot is starting to kick off (finally) and I've got all my planning done, so these updates should be consistent.   
> I'm not going to have a set update date, but I'd shoot for Sundays if you need a guideline.   
> Please comment anything you have to say! I appreciate each one and they make my day a million times better.   
> Thank you so much for all support, comments, kudos, and bookmarks.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly background information and dialogue  
> Dolley, Eliza, and Peggy are featured  
> It's fun

Alex moved against the wall in the portrait hall, staring at Paine as they ran through the door. Paine was able to go through the door he came in through. Alex assumed it was just because they were an Assembly member. 

He didn’t know how to respond to everything he just saw. He didn’t really understand what they meant by expansion, but the way everyone responded made Alex believe it wasn’t a good thing. He found it hard to believe that the King would actually just go out and  _ kill  _ humans. Adams had a point with Seabury, although if there’s anything Alex had learned so far it was that the King didn’t exactly play fair. By how the King acted, Alex assumed he would actually kill  _ Seabury  _ if someone better came along. Alex didn’t see the purpose of killing humans. He was one, he knew they were good for a lot of things. Like blindly following orders and not questioning the patriarchy. Perfect for whatever the King would want them for. 

What would the King even want humans for? Alex (very pessimistically) began reasoning all the reasons the King would kill all the humans. Could supernaturals reproduce? Alex assumed so. After a while, they could technically turn the world into a supernatural world instead. That would be good for them, right? Alex shook his head, trying to clear his head. Why was he reasoning supernatural dominance? He was a fucking human, anyways. Maybe he just really hated the human race. Or maybe this place was getting to his head. 

Alex looked around the portrait hall, his breathing still a bit labored from the sprint out of the meeting room. He had to get out some way, but was still invisible. Even supernaturals would be a little freaked out about a door opening without anyone behind it. If anything, maybe more. He racked his brain for anyone he knew that would maybe know how to make him visible and also not any questions. 

Martha Wayles? No, she got mad at Laurens for bringing Alex in. She was fine with Alex, but she was definitely not one Alex would think would be fine with making him visible again. Madison? No, Madison probably wouldn’t be able to do anything. He’d probably be a little off with Alex after Adrienne. Thomas? Yeah, no. Thomas would just try and seduce him. He wouldn’t be any help. Alex groaned, not caring about the sound because he was alone in the hall, entirely frustrated. He spent an entire day meeting people, but he couldn’t remember anyone. 

He mentally went through everyone who wouldn’t tell. 

Okay, Mulligan would tell Lafayette and Laurens, same Lafayette. Laurens would get mad at him and probably freak out on Burr and Lafayette would tell the other two. Madison would either be too drugged on medication or he would flat out say no. Dolley would- wait, Dolley would totally help him out. She was the most relaxed person Alex had met. That really wasn’t saying much. 

Alex moved off of the wall, running towards the door. Could he leave through the door he came in through? It was worth a shot. He knocked on the door, overly thinking about Dolley’s room. Laurens told Alex that all you needed to do was think about the room you wanted to go to. He knocked on the door again.  _ Dammit _ . He started to turn away from it to wait it out, but then he heard a voice on the other side. 

“Who is it?” It was definitely Dolley. 

“It’s Alex. It’s Dolley, right?” He asked, pressed against the wooden door. He was genuinely surprised that it worked. It contradicted everything people had told him about the doors here. The one rule he remembered was that you couldn’t go through doors that you entered the room through. Right? He didn’t listen very well. Actually, it wasn’t his fault. A lot of shit had happened in the last day (or week, Alex had lost track and frankly, didn’t care). 

“Hell yeah, my man. You want in?” 

“Please, but I’m invisible.” The doorknob jiggled for a moment, but then stopped. 

“The  _ fuck  _ you mean?” She chuckled. “I mean, I ain’t ‘bout to snitch, but what? You gotta explain once you’re in, alright?” 

“Yeah, totally, just let me in before the meeting lets out.” 

“Meeting?”

“Dolley, please just let me in.” The door opened and Dolley stood in the doorway. She burst into giggles stepping to the side. 

“I’m sorry if I step on you, I can’t really see you.” She was laughing, so hard, in fact, that she couldn’t shut the door. Alex shut it for her, but then leaned against it and crossed his arms. 

“I won’t tell you what happened if you keep laughing.” He threatened. Like a button was pressed, she snapped upright and her face turned solemn. She awkwardly looked around because she didn’t know where to look. 

“Alright, man. Can I make you visible before you tell me?” Alex nodded. Dolley turned and ran to a bookshelf against a wall of her room (which was framed with an absurd amount of Christmas lights, just like the rest of her room). She pulled out a book that had a bunch of dog eared pages and flipped through it, her eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t have many natural powers, so I have to use charms and shit.” 

Alex nodded and sat on a beanbag laying on her floor. Dolley’s room looked like one entirely decorated from looking at tumblr. All of her appliances had a retro feel to them, there were weird plants all over, but it was a really nice room. Alex looked over at her bed, his eyes immediately falling on the foot of the bed. There was a long planter box, full of marijuana plants. Alex snorted. He would ask about it later. 

“Alright, so,” Dolley moved over to stand by the door, getting ready to read the charm. 

“I sat down on the beanbag.” Alex told her, grinning told her. 

“Of course you did.” She held out the ‘of’ sarcastically. “You had to make it difficult, huh? Stand up for me.” Alex did. Dolley awkwardly put her hands out, feeling around for him. Her hand hit his face, which she proceeded to grab until her hands landed on his jaw. “There we go! Okay, so this is a mental charm, thank  _ God _ , so just chill there while I do it.” 

Alex grabbed his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth on his feet while Dolley closed her eyes and mumbled softly to herself. He stood there awkwardly for a few moments, waiting for her to finish. After a while, he was wondering if she would ever be done with the charm. After nearly a minute, Dolley stepped away and smiled. 

“There’s your beautiful face.” She grinned. 

“You’re bi?” Alex asked. 

Dolley giggled. “Nah, I’m entirely lesbian, but I sure as hell can appreciate cuties on the other team.” Dolley moved to her kitchen, opening her fridge. “Do you want grilled cheese?” 

Alex scoffed. “Grilled cheese? Seriously?” 

“What do you think we eat? We still normal people.” Dolley winked, fluttering her wings to prove a point. “But no, we eat normal things too.” 

“No, just, I dunno, I didn’t really think you would be one to eat grilled cheese.” Alex realized how dumb that sounded out loud. 

“The  _ fuck  _ you mean I don’t look like I would eat grilled cheese?” Dolley snorted, turning on the stove. 

“I don’t know! But, like, if you don’t mind, make me one too.” Dolley shot a playful glare at Alex but nodded. 

“Alright, so tell me the story.” 

“Did you hear about Adrienne?” Alex asked. It would be difficult to tell the story if she didn’t know how it started. 

“Oh, yeah. Laurens was in the mezzanine bein’ a pain ‘n the ass to everyone about you, so I heard it.” Alex forced a laugh. 

“Well, Burr woke me up this morning- well, it was like one in the afternoon- and said he could take me to an Assembly meeting and then-”

“Holy shit, man.” Dolley turned around from the stove, staring Alex down with an open mouth. “You got in an Assembly meeting?” 

“Yeah?” Alex scratched the back of his neck. “Do, uh, do people not get let into those or something?” 

“Dude! Yeah, “do people not get let into those”! They’re called Assembly meetings for a reason!” Dolley sounded dumbfounded, rubbing her eyes with the bases of her palms. Her eyes were red and droopy, but she still seemed lively. “What did they say?” 

“Nothin’ important,” Alex shrugged, scratching his head. 

Dolley blew a raspberry. “I mean, you’ve been here for two days, I wouldn’t bank on your opinion on what’s important or not, but I’ma let you slide.” She turned back to the stove. “Continue,” 

“Okay, so Burr wanted to go to an Assembly meeting with me and they obviously weren’t gonna let me in, so Burr made me invisible. It’s not much, but yeah.” Alex shrugged. 

Dolley continued cooking, her back still turned to Alex. She had really pretty wings. They reminded Alex of a necklace his mother had. Like Dolley’s wings, the necklace was a glassy silver that faintly changed colors when you adjusted your view. A slightly melancholy thought, but it’s just what Alex thought of when he saw her wings. Dolley hummed to herself, a song Alex had probably heard before at a store, but he had never listened enough to learn the words. It was off-key and awkward, but it was a nice touch to make Alex a bit more comfortable. It was casual. Much unlike everything else that had happened with Alex, he hadn’t really had any time to sit back and just relax. 

He liked Dolley a lot. 

“So, are humans never allowed in?” Alex asked, breaking the silence. Dolley turned around to go to her pantry and shook her head. 

“Well,  _ technically _ , yes. But the King has Seabury there all the time, but Seabury is more like a permanently attached consort to him. He doesn’t care, though. It’s not like he can gossip all the info out.” Dolley turned back to the stove, shrugging. “But, no, ninety-nine percent of the time humans aren’t allowed. Other supernaturals usually aren’t either.” 

Alex frowned. “Okay, so, like, I know who Seabury is, but, like,  _ who  _ is he? Why is he even here?” He let out an uncomfortable laugh. 

“Well,” Dolley paused for a moment, but then started moving again. “He’s been here for about, uh, two? Three years? He was brought in by, uh, I dunno, someone in the Assembly. But the King didn’t want him in ‘cause, y’know, they were plannin’ on not allowing anymore humans, but, uh…” She trailed off, thinking. “Actually, I dunno how the arrangement came to be, but somewhere down the line, Seabury became the King’s personal ragdoll and the rest is history.” 

“Ragdoll? Don’t you mean, uh, fuck toy? Somethin’ like that?” 

Dolley shook her head. “Ragdolls don’t even move unless you make them. I’ve seen that kid. You can lock his leg behind his neck and he won’t flinch.” She shuddered. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have joints. But ragdolls don’t have feelings. They don’t think. I know Seabury thinks for himself, but he don’t let it show.” 

“That’s depressing as  _ fuck _ . Don’t you guys ever feel bad for him?” 

“ _ Hell _ no.” Dolley laughed. “One: We hate him. Two: He hates us. Three: He’s treated better than Queen Charlotte. And four: He loves the King. Like, he fawns over him. You ever see him when they’re together? He doesn’t take his eyes off him.” 

“But, doesn’t he want to leave?” Alex leaned forward on his knees. The beanbag shifted underneath him. “He seemed kinda uncomfortable at the Assembly meeting.” 

Dolley turned around and rolled her eyes, twisting her arm to turn off the stove. “Just, don’t let him bother you. He’s the most stuck up person here and he would have done something if he wanted to leave.” Dolley walked over to Alex with two plates in her hands, giving Alex one. She sat criss-cross in front of him and set her plate down to adjust her hijab. “Anyway,” She held out the ‘any’.

“How long have you been here?” Alex asked, picking up the grilled cheese. He was starving. Alex was trying to steer the conversation away from other humans. Alex was getting increasingly uncomfortable the more he discussed humans with the other supernaturals he had met. 

Dolley held her hand over her mouth, chewing. “Um, well I came in with Madison.” Her speech was mumbled. She put her hand down, leaning against the ottoman with one arm. “Laurens actually brought us in together, so we’re tight.” 

“Is that why you guys are so close?” Alex asked. He took a bite. First bite of food after everything got fucked up. Right? Again, he had lost track and didn’t really care.

“That’s what I just said, man.” Dolley laughed. Dolley had such a warm laugh. It was one of those laughs that made you smile. Alex wasn’t one to get all mushy about things like that, but Dolley seemed worthy of talk like that. “But, yeah. Well, I don’t really remember exactly how long I’ve been here. Most people celebrate arrival anniversaries for like five years before they forget about it.” 

Alex frowned at her. “That’s sad.” 

“Oh, no.” Dolley shook her head. “It’s not really sad. Once you stop focusing on those anniversaries, you start rememberin’ new things. Madison remembers the first time he and Thomas got together. He still remembers that.” Dolled shrugged. “I haven't really done the whole “relationship” thing yet.” She made quotations with her fingers.

“Wait, what happened with that? I know you told me, but I kinda forgot.” Alex grimaced, but Dolley dismissed him. 

“Hon, it’s fine. You've kinda been through a lot. But if you're willing to listen now, I'll tell you again.” Dolley took another bite before sliding the grilled cheese away from her. “So, when I came here, I was almost immediately sent back out for recruitment. Most guys when they get here are expected to do that, I dunno why, they just do. So I went out and my location was somewhere in Africa, so that was pretty cool, but I really underestimated how difficult it was to find supernaturals, just gotta say-” 

“What about your wings and skin? Like, is there a spell or something?” 

Dolley raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, scowling. “Spells are for humans pretending to be us. Y’all are just playin’. They’re called  _ charms _ .” 

“Wh- but Burr called them spells.” 

“You really gon’ listen to Burr?” Dolley snorted. 

“True. Back to the story.” 

“Oh my god- Okay, so yes, there was a  _ charm  _ that made me appear mostly human.” 

“Mostly?” Alex cocked his head. 

“Yeah. My eyes didn’t change. In the supernatural world, eyes are like, really important or somethin’. Don’t ask me why, I dunno.” But, you’d be surprised at how little people care. So I was in Africa, y’know, travelling along the coast, befriending random villagers, and trying pretty damn hard to find a supernatural. Again, it’s fucking  _ hard _ . Like, I understand why some people brought back humans, it’s just easier. But, lo and behold, I eventually ran into Miss Martha Wayles. She actually told me like, I dunno, a year after I brought her in, that they were planning on burning her for witchcraft. Her village saw her wings and freaked out, or somethin’.” 

“Wait,” Alex spoke before Dolley could continue. “How old is Martha?” 

“Well, when she came in she was twenty, I’m pretty sure.” 

Alex blew a raspberry. “Did she move? Wouldn’t her village have noticed her wings in twenty-five years?” 

“Goodness,” Dolley rubbed her temples. “I always forget how little you know about all this.” 

“Well, I’m sorry!” Alex threw his hands up defensively. 

“No! I’m just sayin’, I always think you know things things ‘cuz I forget you haven’t been here long. Make sense? Back to the story.” She was clearly on edge from being interrupted, so she spoke fast. “But yeah, fairy wings show up later in a fairy’s life. They’re like a girl’s period.” 

Alex winced. “Not really sparing any details, are you?” 

“One,” Dolley glared at him. “Stop interrupting me. Two, periods aren’t as disgusting as y’all make them seem, y’all are just astounded women aren’t there for your enjoyment and your enjoyment only. Three,  _ stop interrupting me _ .” 

“My mistake, I’m sorry.” 

“Yeah, you are.” Dolley took a deep breath. “ _ Anyway _ . They depend on the fairy. Like, my wings appeared when I was sixteen. This other fairy, Kitty, you’ll probably not meet her. She’s a slut-  _ anyway _ . Her wings appeared when she was twenty-five. All wings appear at different points in a fairy’s life. Make sense?” 

Alex nodded. “Yeah, Martha’s wings had just appeared, and her village thought she was a witch. Forgive me, but I have another question.” He teased. Dolley didn’t seem very impressed. 

“I don’t like your attitude. You better cut it out before I kick  _ you  _ out. But, if you must.” She gestured for him to ask. 

“What about her skin? Isn’t her skin, like, dark purple?” 

“Actually, good question, but I don’t know. I found her in Ethiopia and their skin is pretty dark, so-” Her eyes widened. “That wasn’t racist. I swear.” 

Alex snorted. “I didn’t think it was. Observing is different than judging.”

“That’s a very good point.” Dolley took a deep breath. “And so I brought her in and I stuck around her for a while because she was nervous and I realized I had a crush on her. I did for a while, still do, but she likes Jefferson.” 

“Aren’t you and Elizabeth dating?” Alex asked. He remembers Laurens telling him that.

“What?” Dolley looked offended. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows furrowed. “Where the hell did you hear that?!” 

Alex remembered that Laurens told him telepathically. “Wait, never mind. I misheard Laurens when he told me something, probably.” He waved it off. Dolley calmed down, but she was still on high alert. 

“‘Kay, but if you ever get told shit ‘bout me from Laurens, lemmie know and I’ma beat his ass.”

Alex inwardly laughed at the dramatic shift in her speech. 

Dolley opened her mouth to say something else, but there was a knock on her door. “Who is it?” She yelled, leaning back to get closer to the door. It didn’t really eliminate any space between her, but- Alex was overthinking it. 

“It’s me and Eliza!” A bright, but slightly nasally voice called back through the wood. 

“Who and Eliza?” 

“Peggy!” There was a beat of silence. “We brought cookies?” 

Dolley stood up and flitted over to the door, opening it happily. “Hey, ladies, long time no see!” 

“What’s up! We made you cookies, they’re peanut butter, Madison said you liked those, but they have cinnamon in them too. We thought they tasted really good, so we brought you a batch! Well, actually we brought them for Alex, but we figured you would like them-”

“Thanks, Peg. We made you cookies, Dolley.” Eliza smiled at her, covering Peggy’s mouth with her hand. “Ew! What the heck?” Eliza had a lisp. It was cute. 

“What?” Dolley raised an eyebrow at the two girls in the doorway. 

“She licked my hand!” Eliza wiped her hand on Peggy’s sleeve, who grinned up at her. 

“Don’t cover my face next time, ‘Liza.” 

“God, you two are a riot, aren’t you. We were having a nice and calm conversation and y’all walk in and make a mess, hm?” 

“Look, we had just heard a lot about Alex, and we wanted to talk to him! He seems to have gotten pretty close with everyone already, so we wanted our chance!” Peggy smiled. 

Alex stood up to get a good look at the two. Peggy was a lot shorter than Eliza, but Eliza was just tall. Peggy’s skin was a light brown, her hair in thick braids falling to her waist. She was pretty fat, but she still wore a tight crop top and high waisted shorts. She had tribal tattoos all over her body. They actually looked more like runes. They ran up her arms and legs, were splayed out strategically on her chest, and scattered her face attractively. They were gold, the same color as her eyes. 

Eliza was a polar opposite to her, tall and thin with pale skin and black hair cut in a messy bob. She was wearing a dark blue dress with matching sandals, revealing baby blue toes that would have looked like frostbite if Alex didn’t know she was a supernatural. As she smiled at Dolley, Alex noticed a gap between her two front teeth. That explained her lisp. Her eyes were a dark turquoise, accented with thick eyebrows and a thick line of eyeliner. Her eyes were big, startlingly with fading rings around her iris. Eliza looked like she would possess you if she stared at you. Kinda like the snake from the Jungle Book movie Alex watched as a kid. 

“Well, he’s here if you wanted to meet him. Are y’all gonna skidaddle, or what?” Dolley asked. Peggy handed her a glass jar that Dolley turned to put on her kitchen counter. 

“Alex, have you been to the mezzanine yet?” Eliza asked, looking at him. 

Alex thought for a few moments, then shrugged. “Uh, I don’t know. Hah, I don’t remember, honestly.” Peggy just smiled wider. 

“Well, that’s okay! The Assembly meeting let out ten minutes ago, so Angie and Price won’t be there.” Peggy explained, stepping into Dolley’s room. Dolley snorted, a half-eaten cookie in her hand. 

“How are those two?” She asked. Eliza rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. 

“The same. A.K.A. awful and annoying.” She let out a long sigh. “But, y’know, we kinda have to like Angelica because she’s our sister. Well, that’s what Daddy tells us.” 

Peggy winced. “‘Liza, you’re twenty-eight. Stop calling Dad ‘Daddy’. Once you get old enough Daddy only has one meaning. And you-”

“Peggy, stop it!” Eliza scolded her. “I’m really sorry about her.” She rubbed her temples. “Peg, c’mon, we came here to meet Alex. Do you wanna come?” Eliza looked and smiled at Alex. He nodded and walked towards them, looking back at Dolley.

“Thanks for, uh-”

“No problem, man.” Dolley clearly knew what he meant, she probably just understood that he didn’t want to explain it to Peggy and Eliza. “Alright, I’ma go find Mads and chill with him for a while, so get out of my room.” 

“Alright, Doll. See you around!” Peggy smiled, skipping to the opposite door. 

“C’mon, Alex.” Alex nodded at Eliza and waved to Dolley as he walked to the other door. Eliza held it open for him, but started giggling to herself before he could thank her.

Once he saw the mezzanine, he knew he had been there. The high ceiling, the fireplace, the chimney with all the pictures that Alex couldn’t see well. The fire in the fireplace was changing colors. There were a lot of people around now, most of them Alex didn’t recognize. 

“Aye, Adams is here, though!” Peggy ran in front of Eliza and Alex, bounding over to him. She stood behind his chair and leaned over, smiling. “What’s up? Hey, Abigail, it’s been a while!”  
Eliza leaned over and whispered to Alex. “Sorry ‘bout Peggy. She’s sometimes too social for her own good.” Alex shook his head and shrugged. 

“I dunno, it’s nice to meet a nice person for once. You two seem fun.” 

“Thanks,” Eliza smiled and put her arm around Alex, patting his shoulder. “Well, I’ll let Peggy do her thing and we can go sit over there.” She lead him over to a couch, swinging her feet onto an armchair right next to it. 

“So, are you two sisters?” Alex asked. 

Eliza nodded. “Mhm. Well, y’know Philip Schuyler?” 

“The big important guy? He runs everything, right?” 

“Yeah, him.” Eliza snorted and ran a hand through her hair. “He adopted Angelica when she was put into an asylum when she was, uh, five? I think? He took her in and she lived with him and mom and then he found me. Funny story, I actually would have been executed if he didn’t find me. Because that’s what they did in fourteenth century China.” 

“Thirteenth century? Like,” Alex snorted. “Thirteen-forty two?” 

Eliza raised her eyebrows. “Damn, not quite. Fourteen-seventy five. Remember, century titles are the century after whichever one you’re talking about.” She snorted. “That didn’t make sense.” 

“How old are you guys? Like, the oldest person here, how old are they?” 

“Y’know, well, no one really knows for sure except for the specific person, and my dad was the first person. He doesn’t really tell anyone, frankly, I don’t think he remembers.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “God, well, Paine came in during the Khafre reign, that was, uh, twenty-five B.C.? I don’t remember. Let’s just say, this place has been around for a very, very,  _ very  _ long time.”

“Wow. Honestly, that’s impressive.” 

“I know, right. It makes sense, too. Think about it, Europeans didn’t even know the Americas existed until the fifteenth century. America was just a bunch of colonies until 1776, so information wasn’t really spread that quickly until, maybe, the twentieth century. So we were able to be pretty hidden for a while.” 

“What’chu two talkin’ about?” Peggy skipped over and sat on the armchair Eliza was resting her feet on. 

“I’m asking about how long this place has been around.” Alex explained, leaning against the arm of the chair. 

“Woof,” Alex inwardly winced when Peggy said that. “That’s a question I cannot answer.” 

“Well, I was first explaining to him how we’re related to Dad.” She glared at Peggy. “Are you happy, now?” 

Peggy mockingly smiled at her. “Yeah, you kinky fucke-”

“Peggy. Stop. Let me finish explaining to him.” She smiled at Alex. “Sorry. Well, he took me in and saved my life, and it was just me, Angelica, Mom, and Dad for a while. Then, Mom and Dad decided to actually have a kid instead of adopting. And, boom, Peggy was created.”

Peggy put her hands under her chin and grinned. “Best fuck those two ever had, if you get a reward like me.” She boasted. 

Eliza cringed and slapped her arm. Peggy frowned and rubbed where Eliza had hit her. “That’s disgusting, you’re gross.” 

“Dude, don’t hit me, though!” Peggy argued. 

“I’m trying to explain to Alex! You’re interrupting me!” Eliza yelled, getting close to her face. Peggy met her gaze with the same intense stare. 

“I’m sorry, but when you stop talking I think you’re done!” 

Eliza scoffed and shoved Peggy’s shoulder back. “You’re not even making any sense, shut up.” She looked back at Alex, pure annoyance on her face. “Do you have any other questions?” 

Peggy sat against her chair, pouting. She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at Eliza, her expression dripping with fury. Alex nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually, yeah, I do. This may, uh, sound weird, but how do babies work in the supernatural world?” 

“That’s a perfectly reasonable question, actually. Well, in some cases, if two supernaturals have a kid, the kid could have both powers. Like, uh,” She furrowed her brows and looked at the ground. “Well, both of my parents were supernaturals and each had a different power. One was a djinn and the other had clairvoyance. I don’t know which one had which because they kinda ditched me. Now, Angie’s parents were both humans and she’s just an incredible miracle of happiness.” 

Peggy giggled. “Miracle of happiness. Can I explain somethin’?” Eliza shook her head.

“No, because you’re going to explain it poorly.” 

“True,” 

“And now, Dad has some weird power related to power, I don’t really know because he never really talks about it, and Mom was a witch, and when they had Peggy, she got Mom’s powers.”

Alex smiled at Peggy. “Dude, you’re a witch? That’s really cool!” Peggy grinned and then smirked at Eliza. 

“At least  _ someone  _ thinks my power is cool.” She looked back at Alex. “Yep. That’s where all these tattoos come from. I also make potions when I feel like it. Oh! And I have a snake.” 

“Peggy, don’t call them tattoos. They’re markings.” Eliza scolded her.

“Stop being picky, okay?” Peggy told her, annoyed. “Anyways, they’re on my body and my body my rules, so, yeah.” 

Eliza gaped at her, her eyebrows twisting. “Dude, what you call your markings isn’t nearly important enough to use that phrase.” 

“Fair point, but I want to call them tattoos.” Peggy looked at Alex, her face suddenly lighting up. “Wait! You have your own room now! The King- well, actually Steuben. Steuben filed all your papers and shit and then you got a room!” 

Alex blinked. “Seriously? Like, I got my own room? Doesn’t the King hate humans?” Eliza spoke up before Peggy could respond. 

“Really, I think he was just too lazy or preoccupied to actually pay attention to what he was agreeing to. I honestly don’t know what he does that makes him so busy.” Eliza leaned against the chair. 

Peggy snorted. “Well, we all know why, none of us just say it.” 

“Sadly, that’s true.” Eliza frowned, staring at the ground, making Peggy burst out into a fit of giggled. She sounded like she was cackling. Maybe that was the witch in her? Was that racist? Wait, species-ist? Alex didn’t know. 

“But, yeah-”

“Yo, girls!” Peggy and Eliza both snapped their heads towards the voice, looking in the same direction. Alex turned to see Angelica walking towards them. “Weren’t we plannin’ on movie night tonight?” As she spoke, she cracked each knuckle individually. 

“Oh! Yeah, we were just talking to Alex a little bit.” Eliza smiled, standing up and smoothing her dress out. “We’ll see you around, Alexander! It was so nice to meet you!” She held out her hand for Alex. He took it, smiling back at her as she shook his hand. 

Peggy hopped up after her, appearing to adjust her bra. She frowned and flicked her braids behind her shoulders. “I like you Alex. You’re chill. Stick around, I’d be kinda sad if you left. Not like you can leave, anyway.” After she saw Alex’s uncomfortable shift, she swatted his arm affectionately. “I’m messin’ with you. See ya’!” 

Angelica looked at Alex, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “See you around, Alex. Sorry for not sitting and chattin’, but I just got out of an Assembly meeting. You probably understand why I’d be tired based on the topics discussed.” 

Alex furrowed his brows, scared for a moment. Did she know he was there? Once she winked at him, he knew she did. Before Alex could retaliate and defend himself, she turned with her sisters and walked to the door, leaving Alex a little uncomfortable and alone in the mezzanine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!   
> Look, I'm gonna give up on update scheduling.   
> I've got too much stuff going on for a definite day to update weekly.   
> Please forgive me!!   
> Anyway, please comment! Comments make my day and I'm never happier than when I see them.   
> Thanks for putting up with my messed up updates, and I hope you stick around!!


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex meets Seabury and Charlotte  
> It's interesting.  
> Philip and George Eacker are together.   
> They're pretty cute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning: negative body image
> 
> If you still want to read the chapter around this-- After Philip interacts with a lynx, skip until George is introduced.

Alex awkwardly sat in the mezzanine, giving a small smile to anyone who walked past. He wanted to see his room, but he also just wanted to go walk around a bit more. Then again, last time he did that he ran into Thomas.  _ Then again _ , he would not be disappointed if he stumbled across Thomas again. He was disappointed someone interrupted their meeting the first time. Maybe if he wandered around for awhile, he could go into Thomas’s room and act like it was a mistake. Then he wouldn’t seem too desperate. 

Alex settled on just wandering around and hoping not to run into anyone too terrible. He stood up and stretched, taking his hair out of its ponytail. He needed to find a shower. Hey, he could shower in his own room now. Would it have a shower? That was a stupid  question. Right? Alex was beginning to stop questioning things, while simultaneously telling himself to question everything twenty times more than he already did. 

He walked the same path the three sisters had, reaching the opposite door. He cleared his brain to open the door. He put his hand on the handle, taken aback by how heavy it appeared to be. Alex put his entire weight against the door, his face flushing as he felt heads turn and eyes burn into the back of his skull. With a sudden surge of embarrassment-fuelled strength, the door opened and Alex practically fell inside. The door shut fast behind him, but not fast enough for Alex to miss the giggles from the mezzanine. 

Alex looked around the new room, admiring it. It looked vaguely like the portrait room, only there weren’t any portraits. On the right wall, there were windows. Alex peered out of them. The ocean. It was calming. He couldn’t hear it, but the sound of waves was so familiar, he just imagined the sound. The rest of the room was scarcely decorated, but it was sophisticated enough to look like it belonged where Alex had found himself. It wasn’t too bright, the sky outside the window providing no light to the room. The chandelier didn’t give off too much light, only a dull, warm glow. It was strange. 

He listened to his steps on the ground, ringing through the air and seemingly bouncing off the walls. It was weird. All the sounds were magnified. Or maybe it was just quiet. Once again, Alex was simultaneously becoming more paranoid and more apathetic at the same time. At some point, he would be able to follow through on his decision to stop asking questions. 

Alex finally stopped skitting around the task at hand and awkwardly skipped to the door. He knocked on it, quietly. He should have knocked harder, but he was frankly a little nervous. Again, judging by the two people he had met without being introduced by other people, randomly knocking on doors could result in some uncomfortable situations. Honestly, the only person he had really had a  _ negative  _ interaction with was Adrienne, and she even asked Madison permission to take him. 

Alex was overthinking this. Fuck it. 

He knocked on the door, hard. Almost with too much apathetic enthusiasm, because he startled himself. He sat for a few moments, tapping his foot on the ground. After a few moments (more than a few, it was a long time), there was a voice from the other side. 

“Is it Paine?” The voice was soft, edging on annoyance. 

Alex blinked. “Uh, no? Were you expecting them?” Alex was starting to regret knocking on the door. Well, it wasn’t like he could turn around and go out the other door. 

“Uh, no?” They made fun of Alex, akin to a little kid. “Of course I was expecting them, why would I answer the door with ‘is it Paine’?” Their voice was raspy. 

“Who is this?” Alex asked, starting to get really pissed off. The door handle turned and the door opened outward, different from most of the other doors. That was an odd thing to notice. 

Suddenly, everything made sense. Seabury peered out of the door, his face edging on anger, but he looked too tired to actually be angry. That explained why his voice was raspy. 

“Wh- oh.” He looked up at Alex (he was short- a lot shorter than Alex). “What are you doing?” 

Alex winced. Honestly, if he explained to this kid why he knocked on the door, that was the end of his social career here. He already didn’t have much, but he was positive Seabury wasn’t one to keep embarrassing moments to himself. When they involved other people, of course. 

“I, uh, hah, this is gonna sound stupid-”

“Answer the question.” He demanded. Jesus Christ. Alex mentally prepared himself and locked his gaze with Seabury. 

“Well, I was looking for a friend and I guess I got,” He looked at Seabury’s face. He had dark rings around his eyes. He honestly looked  _ innocent _ . During Alex’s inspection, he noticed a scar next to Seabury’s eye. Idiotically, he didn’t even think to stop himself when he asked about it. “What’s that scar?” A sense of dread filled him the moment the words passed his lips. 

Seabury’s eyes widened, his lip curling. Alex almost just wanted to tell him to come outside the door, it was weird to have a discussion with him when he was just leaning out the door. “What the heck was that question?” 

“You’ve got a scar,” Alex pointed out. Seabury crossed his eyes and made a face, making fun of Alex again. 

“You made that clear. I don’t know what you mean.” Seabury taunted, pulling the blanket around his shoulders tighter. 

“Wha- it’s right there, by your-”

“I know I have a scar there, but mind your own business!” He furrowed his brows and pouted. “I didn’t ask about your hickeys, did I?” He raised an eyebrow at Alex and flitted his eyes down to his neck. 

Alex scoffed. “I don’t have hickeys. I’m not like  _ you _ .” He did, actually. The “finger hickeys” from when he first met Lafayette. He pretended he had no idea what Seabury was talking about. 

Seabury leaned back, his eyes wide and his lip curled. “ _ Excuse me?! _ ” Even as he said this, he kept his voice low. “You’re that guy who got registered two days ago!” He sneered. 

“Uh, yeah? You didn’t realize when you opened the door? Oh wait, when I was registered you were a little occupied with the King.” Alex should have probably shut up. Clearly, Seabury had close ties to the King, and mocking him with that knowledge wasn’t smart. But Alex wasn’t necessarily one to let himself be humiliated. He was born with a sort of self-destructive passion in his veins, and that had proven to absolutely fuck him in the ass in the worst times. 

“What the heck is your problem? Go away!” Seabury backed up and slammed the door shut. Alex stood there, speechless for a moment. It only just occurred to him that he couldn’t leave. He had to go through Seabury’s room. 

He knocked on the door again. No answer. Alex let out a long sigh. He knocked again. Still no answer. He sat there, waiting. He knocked. No answer. He was getting ready to knock as hard as he could, but the door at the start of the hallway opened. Alex whipped around, half prepared for Seabury to be storming towards him. But it wasn’t Seabury. It was Charlotte. 

Alex recognized Charlotte from her portrait. She was the only one who smiled. She was prettier in person. She wore a long, emerald green robe that was tied around her middle, the edges frilled. Alex almost questioned why she was dressed in such expensive looking things, until he remembered she was the queen. She had a crown on her head,  her ginger hair falling freely past her shoulders. She looked annoyed. 

The second she walked through the door, her expression changed to a warm one. “Alexander,” She reached him, looking down at him with calm, multicolored eyes. One was black and the other was dark green. “What are you doing here?” 

Alex twisted his mouth. “Well, I was actually left alone, so I was gonna just wander around and knock on doors to explore a little, I dunno.” His cheeks flushed. 

“Bless your soul,” Charlotte clicked her tongue and brushed a strand of Alex’s hair behind his ear. It was a calming, maternal gesture, one that Alex really hadn’t felt in years. “Although I fully respect your curiosity, I must say that that is a rather bad idea, even in the human world. Now, I want you to think of something. In your world, do you go knocking on random doors to meet new people?” 

Alex rubbed the back of his neck. “No,” 

“So why would you want to do that here? Especially where these creatures are highly more dangerous than your kind.” She pursed her lips. “I’ll let it slide.” She grinned and winked at him, her gaze shifting to the door. “Why are you standing outside this door? You look frazzled.” 

“This one’s Seabury’s. We got in a little, I dunno, it wasn’t even an argument, but he shut the door on me.” 

“Dammit.” Charlotte cursed under her breath. “I was hoping to talk to my husband in  _ private _ . I hope Samuel didn’t give you a hard time, dear.” She took a step past Alex to the door, muttering to herself. Alex couldn’t make out what she said. 

And Alex thought he knocked on the door hard. Charlotte rapped on the door with delicately ringed fingers so loudly Alex jumped and covered his ears. After she drew her hand down, she gently crossed them in front of her and smiled at the door. The door swung open, Seabury standing in the door frame. The door was opened all the way, and Alex intrusively peered in past him. He couldn’t see hardly anything. due to the dim lighting in the room. 

“What on earth-” Seabury stopped, looking at Charlotte. Just like he had looked at Alex, a disgusted and annoyed grimace took over his expression. “What do  _ you  _ want?” 

Charlotte raised her eyebrows, surprised, but she didn’t break her relaxed stance. “Well, pardon me for interrupting your little rendezvous _ ,  _ Samuel, but I was hoping to speak to my  _ husband _ .” 

“Your husband is  _ sleeping _ .” He looked back, pulling the blanket he was holding tighter around him like he had a few minutes ago. It actually didn’t look like much of a blanked. It seemed more like a cape, with dark red fabric and white spotted edges. “He’s rather worn out and I feel it wouldn’t be best to wake His Majesty up.” 

“I, uh, don’t really care, my dear.” Charlotte said, leaning down closer to Seabury with each word. “I’m the queen, let me in.” 

Seabury crossed his arms. “No.” He looked at her, his eyebrows raised and his lips pursed. 

“Look, I don’t care how well George treats you, you have to listen to me. I need to talk to King George and I don’t care how sex-ed out he is.” Charlotte hissed, leaning down so far she was nearly at eye level with Seabury. 

Seabury looked like he was about to say something, but instead he just sighed and turned around, walking towards the back of the room. Alex heard some almost inaudible whispering, but Charlotte began speaking to him before he could listen anymore. 

“I’m so, incredibly sorry you had to witness that. Samuel is, uh,” She bit her lip. “Complicated. I dislike him, but attempt to be kind to him.” Alex inwardly scoffed.  _ Yeah right.  _ “Come with me, I’ll open that door for you and you can get out, I won’t force you to go through there.”

Alex bit the inside of his lip. “Thanks,” He awkwardly followed her, looking over his shoulder as they walked towards the door. He couldn’t see anything inside. He knew what was there, the King and Seabury. But his stomach twisted into knots. He really hated Seabury. He really wanted to, at least. He couldn’t get Charlotte’s words out of his head. Even Dolley’s reaction to his questioning. He wasn’t necessarily scared for  _ Seabury _ , but for himself. Is this how all humans were treated? The remembered Sally. He hadn’t even  _ seen  _ her yet. Was she being kept for the same reason as Seabury. Alex wouldn’t have been surprised, but the thought alone made swallowing hard and his hands shake. 

“Alright, so, just go somewhere you know, love.” Charlotte gently touched Alex’s back. He jumped, his breath catching in his throat. “You okay?” 

“Hah, yeah,” He made up an excuse as fast as he could think of one. “I was just zoned out.” 

“I understand. Once you’ve sat through over a thousand Assembly meetings, you get pretty prone to zoning out.” Alex snorted. 

One  _ thousand  _ Assembly meetings. Charlotte said  _ over  _ a thousand. Judging by his conversation with Eliza, he couldn’t even comprehend how many there had been. Did Charlotte have to be at each one? He felt bad for her if she did. 

“Be safe, Alexander.” Charlotte smiled at him and opened the door. Alex bowed his head, not really knowing if that was proper etiquette, but he couldn’t care to ask. He was practically shoved out the door before he could say another word to her. 

______________________________________________________________________

Phillip lowered his hand into the freezing stream, his palm open against the current. He took a deep breath and watched a small group of koi swim past him. One of them grazed his hand, its scales were slimy and made Philip jump. He pulled his hand out, shaking it in the air to dry it off. It didn’t work very well, but he didn’t really want to get his shirt wet. 

He stood up from his crouched position, wiggling his bare foot into the sand and then kicking it up into the air. He smiled. The forest was usually silent. Most people chose not to go in, mainly because it was easy to get lost. Philip couldn’t lie, he had had a good share of moments when he stopped and looked around, realizing he had no idea where he was going. After you had spent long enough in the forest, you started to remember how to get out. The doors were connected with a river, so all you had to do was follow it. The only problem: If it was the first time you ever went in, you didn’t know that. 

Philip smiled to himself as he remembered the first time he visited the forest. He was stuck there for seven hours, just trying to see if any of the animals knew where to go. Long story short, animals don’t really pay any attention to things. Philip looked down the bank, watching a lynx pad down, ankle deep in the water. He waved at it, not expecting a reaction. Lynxs were from Sweden. He stood there, tucking his hair behind his ear with a freckled hand, and waited for the lynx to get closer to him. Once the lynx stopped, sniffing at rose-colored rock where the grass turned to sand, Philip skipped towards it. 

“Hej, hur är du?” Philip smiled at the cat, who’s ears flicked towards him. It padded towards him, peering up at Philip with glittering eyes. 

_ Vattnet är kallt idag.  _ The lynx didn’t speak it, nor did they have a voice. It was just a thought that rung in Philip’s ears. That’s how he spoke to all the animals he found. Sometimes they would refuse to speak to him because it was strange and against natural order. Sometimes, they wouldn’t leave him alone. 

The lynx rubbed against Philip’s leg, turning into more of a housecat than a wild one. Philip didn’t understand how it lived in the forest room. It belonged in the snow, yet here it was. Maybe it had something to do with the magic, which allowed it to suit each of the creatures. Philip still didn’t know, but he wasn’t complaining. He loved the animals. 

“Det är trevlig. Jag berört med filt det för. Luften Är varm, emellertid.” Philip observed, crouching to stroke its ears. It purred. 

_ Luften är för varm. Jag ogillar den.  _ The lynx faced the water, leaping into it and swimming across it to the other side. It shook itself off and then bounded into the forest on the other side. Philip twisted his mouth. 

He wished animals were more sentient. Even though it was cool to speak to them, most people thought they had full conversations. Clearly, they  _ could _ , but animals actually didn’t think about much. They mostly thought about what they could physically feel at the moment and what they were going to eat. They were more interesting to look at. 

Animals were great companions, though. They didn’t really question anything- of course, not including the exception of when they had a problem with it due to instincts and natural law. They didn’t judge you. One of the best things about animals for Philip was that there was no reason to feel self conscious around them. Most people, supernaturals and humans alike, had a similar vision of what a perfect body type was. Philip… didn’t necessarily fit that stereotype and it had bothered him his whole life. George and Price didn’t mind at all. They loved the way he looked. He wasn’t even fat, he knew that. But he was just heavy enough to feel uncomfortable when he put on a shirt that didn’t hang off of his body three times his size. 

Of course, as anyone who had the same fears as Philip, nothing anyone said really helped. Before he came in, he had had multiple long-term problems with his body. It was constant guilt, honestly, every time he looked in the mirror. He was beyond thankful once he, George, and Price started dating because it helped a bit. They called him beautiful and they loved him as he was, and it was cheesy as heck, but it was true. 

Philip shook his head, running a hand through his hair. He needed to stop lamenting about it. That’s what made him continue feeling bad about it. He decided to continue walking along the river until he got to the other door. He could faintly hear rustling in the trees and giggles, frequent sounds that resonated throughout the forest. They were probably forest nymphs or centaurs. Philip inwardly cringed as he remembered the first few weeks he was there. 

He visited the forest after Price insisted he do so with him and heard the giggles. He (apparently, very stupidly) thought they were fairies. After he asked if they were fairies, he proceeded to get an hour long discussion of proper etiquette and interspecies stereotypes from Price. He almost cried, long story short. He was humiliated. Then Price proceeded to convince him he didn’t have any reason to be upset, it was an honest mistake- to which Philip proceeded to get more upset, and it was just a trainwreck. 

Philip stopped for a moment, just to take in the scenery, but the serene atmosphere was interrupted when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. Philip let out an awkward yell, but he calmed when he heard familiar laughter behind him. 

“George, I swear to gosh, I hate you, so much.” Philip hissed, turning around and shoving them. George giggled again, their eyes scrunching up. “It's not funny!” Philip slapped George’s arm. 

“Number one. It's adorable how scared you get by your lover. Number two, I think it's adorable that you call me George and not Eacker. And,” they held out the ‘and’. “I think it's the most  _ pure _ thing that you don't swear.” 

Philip glared at him, crossing his arms. “I think it's  _ annoying _ that you say that  _ every time  _ you meet me somewhere. Oh, might I add, after scaring me.” 

“I just love those things so much about you, what do you want me to do?” George tried, stepping towards Philip with a grin on their face that Philip only thought teenagers trying things they weren't supposed to could have. 

“Honestly, just, stop talking to me. Like, break up with me.” Philip kept his arms crossed as George hugged him, their arms around his neck. 

George buried their face in the crook of Philip's neck, mumbling. “But I love you,” they held out the ‘you’ in a singsong voice. Philip shoved them away, fighting a giggle. 

“I love you, too. But you seriously need to stop doing that. One of these days I'm gonna be on edge and I'm gonna punch you, and no one wants that.” Philip scrunched his nose. “Except that would give me a reason to punch you.” 

“I feel a little attacked.” George threw their hands in the air and widened their eyes. “But, honestly, that's justifiable. I'm a dick.” 

“You are. Sorry, man.” Philip began walking in the direction he was already starting in. “Are we going to dinner with Richard?” 

“No, we’re going to dinner with Price, I'm pretty sure.” George stifled a giggle. 

“I actually hate you. I'm breaking up with you.” Philip mumbled, crossing his arms and kicking a rock under his feet. 

“Oh really? Mr. “I'm so happy Price brought me in, I don't know what I'd do without you two”.” George’s face morphed into a smirk, their eyebrow raised condescendingly. 

“Yes. You're correct. Right now. You're not my lover anymore.” Philip stated. 

As if Philip hadn’t said anything, George continued speaking. “I think we should come up with a new thing to call me except for ‘lover’. It sounds like we're in a forbidden relationship.” They suggested. Philip scoffed. 

“Well, what were you thinking?” 

“I dunno. Maybe paramour. Maybe, uh, love muffin, maybe-” 

“I'm actually going to kill you!” Philip whipped around and stifled a giggle. 

“Why?” George stopped, their eyebrows furrowing and a grin creeping onto their face. “ _ Love muffin _ ,” 

“No, nope, don't ever speak to me again. That is awful, I hate you. You're my enemy now, congratulations.” George stepped behind him, kissing the back of Philip’s neck. “Hey, I have a boyfriend. Watch it,” 

George put an arm around Philip’s shoulders and laced their fingers in his curly hair, pulling against the knots and tangles. “Damn, brush your hair.” 

“I do! I swear, it just is too curly! Now stop it, it hurts, okay?” Philip pushed George away from him, but George grabbed his hands and pulled him around to face them. “What?” Philip asked them, raising an eyebrow. 

“Kiss me,” They held out the ‘me’. Philip shook his head. “Why not.” George stuck out his lip and poured. 

“Because we broke up remember?” Philip tried to hide a smile, but after a few seconds, he burst into laughter. George caught his face between their hands and kissed him, giggling against his mouth. George pulled away, but Philip was the one to pull him back. After a few more moments of kissing, George pulled away to take a short breath. 

“Babe, I thought we had to go to dinner with  _ Richard.”  _ They snorted. Philip turned away from them and began walking more, swinging his arms back and forth. 

“Later. We have a long time, so I dunno what hurry you're in.”

“I wanted to stop kissing your gross face, that's all.” 

“Wow,” Philip bit his lip. “You're the one who asked if I would kiss you, so, you brought yourself down.” 

“Hate the sin, love the sinner.” They grinned, picking up a rock and throwing it into the river. 

“That doesn't even make sense, dummy.” 

“Yes it does.” They threw another rock. 

“You jerk, no it doesn't. Stop throwing rocks to distract me from how I'm right, okay?” Philip stopped, leaning down to untie his shoes.

“What are you doing?” George asked, hunched over to pick up another rock. 

“Taking off my shoes, obviously.” 

“Yeah, well, I could see that. But why?” They stared at Philip as he set his shoes on a rock. 

“Because I don't want them to get wet.” Philip said, nonchalantly. George crossed their arms and watched Philip roll up his jeans. 

“You're going into the water?” They asked. 

Philip scoffed. “Pfft, no, I'm just taking off my shoes and rolling up my jeans because I want to.” 

“Okay, now  _ you're  _ being the mean one.” George teased, following Philip towards the water. “Why do you want to get in the water?” 

“Goodness gracious, why are you asking all these questions? Let me live my life.” Philip took a few steps into the water, jumping up and down a few times. “It’s really cold. I take it you’re not gonna want to get in.” Philip looked back at George, a cocky grin on his face. 

“What are you trying to say?” Philip jumped in the water, ignoring George’s comment. “Philip, are you ignoring me?” They teased, stifling a chuckle. 

“Not necessarily. All I’m saying is that you’re not fun.” Philip kicked the water at George, letting out a laugh. George jumped back, holding his hands up to block. “Oh my gosh, what do you think your hands are gonna do against water?” 

George gawked at him. “Well, last time I checked, your hands can block water. And, I’m totally fun. I’m funner than you.”

“I’m better-er at grammar than you.” Philip looked at George for a reaction, but glared when he got none. “That was a joke, doofus.” 

“Y’know what?” George leaned down and took off their boots, throwing them against the rock Philip set his on. They didn’t bother rolling up their jeans as they ran into the water, immediately splashing water on Philip with their hands. Philip was caught off guard, gasping. 

“I hate you so much, I hate you so much,” He repeated the statement until George approached him and wrapped their arms around him. “Don’t hug me! I’m all wet, and you didn’t want to get wet earlier.” 

“Let’s just say, I love you enough to risk a little water. Besides, I didn’t even get you that much.” They moved their hands to Philip’s waist and looked down at him, grinning. “Nothing?” 

“What?”

“Usually when your significant other tells you they love you, you say it back.” George kissed his forehead.

“Last time I checked, though, I broke up with you.” He giggled, and looked back up at them. “But in a platonic sense, I guess I love you too.” 

“You’re still stuck on the break up! I’m starting to think that you weren’t kidding.” George swayed back and forth, looking down at the water.

“I was kidding, don’t sweat it.” Philip stared at them, his lips slightly parted. Philip put his arms around their neck, threading his fingers through their dreadlocks. “Why are you so attractive?” 

George hissed through their teeth. “Genetics,” They looked down at Philip and observed him for a few moments. “You lucked out big time with those.” 

“Hm?” Philip cocked his head and furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you’re pretty, idiot.” They let out a snort and bit their lip. “Your freckles are cute, your eyes are cute,” They stopped for a moment as Philip blushed. “It’s also really cute when you blush, because you only blush in your ears.” 

“Stop talking.” Philip hid his face in George’s chest, but shoved them away. “Have you met Alex yet?” 

“Who?” George asked, cringing as they leaned down to roll up their pants. 

“Alexander? I think his last name was Hampton, or Hamilton, or something.” 

“Hamilton? Yeah, well, I’ve heard of him, but I haven’t met him yet.” They wiped their hands on their shirt, twisting their mouth as they uncomfortably waded deeper into the water. “Y’know, I’m mad I got wet, but might as well get completely wet.” They looked at Philip and grinned. “That’s what she said.” 

“That doesn’t even make sense.” Philip giggled. 

“Uh, yes it does. Y’know, girls-”

“Stop, stop, stop, I understand how it works, stop talking.” Philip ran his fingers through his hair. “I heard he got registered. I was talking to Peggy, she said that Steuben wasn’t gonna get him registration papers.”

“Why not?” George walked around, looking into the water. Philip couldn’t blame them for only being somewhat engaged in the conversation. The water was always crystal clear, and there were always quite a few animals swimming around. 

“I dunno, he just doesn’t want to, I guess. Peggy said he didn’t like Alex.” Philip explained, crouching down in the water to flip over some rocks at the bottom. 

“Why not? Well, Price said he didn’t like him, so maybe I shouldn’t judge him yet.” They paused, thinking. “Did Peggy like him?”

Philip jumped as a crawfish scrambled out from under the rock he was holding. “Uh, yeah, she said he was chill. Eliza liked him too, or at least that’s what she told me.” Philip explained. “Oh, and Peggy said that he was with Dolley. They were close already.” 

George giggled. “What are you trying to tell me?” They laughed as Philip reached over to hit their arm. 

“She’s lesbian, you creep!” Philip yelled, a bit too loudly. George laughed more, covering his mouth. “Stop, you’re so mean to me.” He held out the ‘me’, crudely imitating George’s accent and voice. 

“You’re mean, too. Besides,” George moved closer to Philip and sidestepped around him, resting their head on his shoulder. “I don’t think we should worry about Alex right now.” They moved their hands to Philip’s hips, going to pull him against them, but Philip moved away from him. 

“You’re so weird!” He giggled, covering his mouth. “I like to know who my friends are meeting, especially if they’re human. Why wouldn’t you want to go meet him instead of hanging out with me?” He walked out of the water, kicked his feet a few times, and then picked up his shoes and continued walking down the river. 

“Wow, I get in the water and get all wet just for you to get out in a minute.” George complained, following Philip out. 

“By all means, stay in.” Philip stood there and watched George as they got their shoes and awkwardly walked up to him. “I’m honestly bothered you even said that. Like, that’s so gross.” Philip snorted. 

“I dunno,” George grabbed Philip’s hand and held it up to their lips, kissing the back of his palm. “It’s cheesy, but I would choose to spend time with you over meeting someone new.” They sighed. “I love you a lot, so, yeah.” 

They walked in silence for a while. Philip tuned in to George’s heartbeat. He could do that. It was cool. It was also great for when he was nervous. George just hugged him, he tuned into their heartbeat, and he was fine. After a few moments, Philip clicked his tongue. 

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, thank you so, so, so much for reading!!  
> I was away at a theater camp all last week, so I couldn't really type much.   
> I hope you liked this chapter! I am absolutely obsessed with the characters in this one, and I hope you like them too.   
> It was weird to type in Philip's point of view, I've been writing in Alex's for 9.5 chapters.  
> Please comment! I love reading them, they absolutely make my day.   
> Thank you so much for reading! Stay safe and stay healthy


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurens and Mulligan find out about the meeting  
> **everyone does

Alex was quickly learning that Laurens didn’t leave his room much. Once Charlotte let him back into the mezzanine, he didn’t have anywhere else to go. He was dumb, but he wasn’t dumb enough to go back out and knock on doors again. At first, he wanted to go to Dolley’s room, but he had already bugged her enough. So, Alex settled for Laurens. 

It took Laurens a few moments to answer, and Alex figured that he had been sleeping. His eyes were bloodshot and he was wearing sweatpants. Apparently, it wasn’t weird for him to not wear a shirt, as he didn’t make any comments about it. Knowing Laurens, Alex wouldn’t have been surprised if he didn’t know. Mulligan was already there, lying on Laurens’s bed with his beanie off and scrolling on his phone. He looked at Alex, held up a peace sign, and smiled. 

“Hey, man. Long time, no see.” He sat up, scratching his head. “So, who’d you meet, what’d you do?” 

Alex rubbed his eyes, flinching as Laurens slapped a hand to his back and put his head on his shoulder. “Uh, well, I’m assuming Laurens already told you about the whole thing with Adrienne, so-”

“Sure as hell, we did.” Laurens hissed, moving away from Alex and jumping on the bed, laying on Mulligan’s chest. “I jus’ gotta say, I was ‘bout to beat Madison’s ass into his fuckin’ head when I found out-”

Mulligan reached down and played with Laurens’s hair, shushing him. “He’s been angry about it all day, so don’t worry about it.” He smiled, tossing his phone to the foot of the bed. 

“Oh, well,” Alex stopped himself before he talked about the Assembly meeting. Judging by Dolley’s reaction, he didn’t think it would be best to tell Mulligan and Laurens-  _ especially  _ Laurens- that he was snuck into an Assembly meeting by Burr-  _ especially  _ by Burr. “I went and talked with Dolley for a while, that was really fun.” 

“Doll’s great, I love her.” Laurens said, seemingly dazed.

“Look,” Alex grinned, covering his mouth. “Is Laurens okay? I mean, is he high or something?” He asked entirely jokingly. However, judging from Mulligan and Laurens’s reactions, it was not an unreasonable reaction. 

“Uh, haha, yeah, I was smokin’ with Dolley, actually, a lil’ bit earlier.” Laurens mumbled, nonchalantly. “She has a bunch of pot in her room, so we get together sometimes.” 

“Wait, but I thought she was lesbian?” Alex asked. Mulligan burst into loud, booming laughter, and Laurens just sat upright and gaped at him. 

“To smoke pot, you bitch!” He doubled over, his shoulders shaking. Alex thought he was mad for a second, but he realized he was just silently laughing. Mulligan’s laugh was so loud you could feel it in your own chest, and Laurens’s was silent except for wheezes. Alex loved the contrast. He inwardly hit himself. What kind of creep admired the  _ contrast  _ between two people’s laughs? 

“You just made my day, Mr. Hamilton. God, I’m glad I met you.” Mulligan sighed, wiping tears off of his cheeks. 

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Alex scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. 

“Don’t take it personally. Herc is just very affectionate.” Laurens teased through gritted teeth, reaching to Mulligan’s ear and tugging it. Alex winced, afraid Mulligan would get upset, but relaxed when he shoved Laurens away, giggling. 

“Go back to what you were talking about, Hamilton. I’m sure it’s more interesting than what Laurens has been doing.” Mulligan covered Laurens’s mouth with his beanie before he kept talking. 

“Oh, hah, well, I talked with Dolley for a while, then Eliza and Peggy came in and took me to the mezzanine to talk to them. Those two were really, really nice, I like them a lot.” 

Mulligan nodded. “Eliza is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. If you ever need to talk about your feelings, definitely go to her.” 

“Or you,” Laurens mumbled, pulling his knees up to his chest and pushing the beanie off of his face. “Your power is empathy, so you’re pretty damn good with feelin’s an’ all that shit.” Mulligan patted his head lightly. 

“Aw, well thank you, Laurens.” Mulligan cooed, his voice going up an octave. He turned to Alex. “Y’know, when he’s high, just talk to him like he’s a toddler. Trust me, it works every time.”

Laurens mumbled something, but Alex couldn’t understand. Mulligan scrunched his face and laughed, so Alex assumed he didn’t know either. 

“So, yeah, that’s about it.” Alex shrugged. Suddenly, he hit his forehead. “Wait, wait, I completely forgot! I met Seabury and Charlotte.” Both Mulligan and Laurens sat upright, their eyes wide. 

“Dude, what the hell? How?” Laurens’s expression was one Alex thought he would see if he had a pair of wings growing out of his back. Then again, that scenario probably wouldn’t get any reaction out of Laurens. 

“Well, I was knocking on random doors, and-”

“Why on earth would you do that, man?” Mulligan groaned, putting a hand over his face and chuckling. 

“You, what- I don’t know, man! I was being stupid, Charlotte already talked to me about it. Anyway-” He punctuated each syllable. “I was knocking on random doors and I got to Seabury’s door, and he was angry-”

“Wait, wait, wait, what did he look like?” Laurens questioned him. It looked like he thought his was an interrogation. He was very set on finding out this answer, and frankly, it was amusing. 

“Uh, hah, I don’t know. He had a blanket over his shoulders, he looked pretty-”

“What did the blanket look like?” Laurens pressed on. Mulligan covered his mouth and his shoulders bounced. 

“What kind of question is that? Okay, uh, I don’t know, I think it was red? Maybe, dude, I don’t remember-”

“Wait!” Laurens practically screamed, jumping off the bed, giggling drunkenly. “Was, uh, wait, wait, Herc, what’s the trim? On, uh, on the King’s cape?” He asked, not even turning around. Mulligan opened his mouth, but Laurens gasped and cut him off. “Wait, did it, uh, have a white and black dot-dot-dot pattern?” 

“Dot-dot-dot?” 

“Polka dots, Hamilton.” Mulligan answered the question for him. “Answer before he loses his damn mind.” 

“Oh, uh, yeah, that’s it. It was red and it had white, hah, dot-dot-dot pa-”

“Shit, man!” Laurens screeched, jumping up and down and spinning around as he did. “You know what that means,  _ muchacho de sombrero.”  _ Laurens giggled, jumping around his bed and wildly giggling. 

Alex looked at Mulligan, ignoring Laurens’s incessant remarks. “Uh, are you sure they were smoking p-”

“They probably did crack too. They dabble.” Mulligan explained, casually. He shifted so he was laying sideways on the bed to speak to Alex easier. 

“Wha- how the fuck do you dabble in a drug?” Alex snorted, but was slightly concerned. 

“Well, long term health stuff doesn’t stick around, nor affect you. Like, you can’t get colds here, but if you had a cold when you came in, you’ll never get rid of it. In Laurens’s case, he wasn’t addicted to crack then, so he ain’t now. Make sense? Good, because he’s  _ obviously  _ got something important to say.” Mulligan chuckled, pointing at him. 

Laurens jumped on the bed next to Mulligan, leaning on his arm. “That’s the King’s cape, my brothers.” He stuck out his tongue and smiled. “You know what that means.” Laurens giggled, rubbing his eyes. 

“Laurens, come on, be mature.” Mulligan scolded him, but Alex couldn’t take him seriously past his laughter. “Back. To. The. Story. Hamilton, keep talkin’.” 

“Okay, so after he opened the door, we argued for a little bit, he shut the door on me, then Charlotte came in. That’s it.” Alex shifted his gaze across Laurens’s room. He would have to come by and clean it up. “I talked to Dolley, I met Eliza and Peggy, then I met those two.” They sat in silence, Alex nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot. 

“Hm.” Laurens leaned over Mulligan, his elbows resting on Mulligan’s side. “Y’know, you were gone for, like, pssh, I dunno, six hours? Maybe five, I guess, I dunno, I can’t tell time, but that’s not the point. All I know, is that when I woke up I went to Dolley’s place and chilled there for about an hour, and she didn’t say you stopped by.” He raised an eyebrow and smiled. “So, what’dja really do today, Hamilton?”

Alex fake scoffed. Dammit. He thought he could slip past and not mention it, but honestly, he was starting to lose hope. “I dunno, I hung out in the mezzanine for a while.” 

“Nah, man, I was there with Laf all mornin’.” Mulligan grinned at him, but clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “What’s up, Hamilton?” 

“I swear, what I told you was what happened…” He trailed off, looking at Laurens, frowning. His freckles were dark brown. “Hey, I told you not to read m-”

“John smells a fuckin’  _ liar _ , Hamilton.” Laurens spat. For a moment, Alex thought they were kidding. “You went to a fuckin’ Assembly meeting’, Hamilton?” Laurens asked, a look like betrayal etched on his face. 

“Wh- well, yeah, but-” 

“Burr let you in too? What the hell, man?” Laurens pouted, sitting back on his heels. “Ya’ hear that, Herc?” 

“Wait, was I, uh, like supposed to bring you two, or something?” Alex asked. 

“No! You should’ve told us, though!” Mulligan retaliated, moving to sit criss-cross on the bed. He put his beanie on, pulling it a little further over his ears than Alex thought would be comfortable. “What’d they say?” 

Alex immediately tried to push all the thoughts of what happened during the meeting away, but of course, all he could think about was what had happened at the meeting. “I dunno, people talked about stuff-”

“Expansion?” Laurens asked, his eyebrows furrowing and the corners of his mouth dipping into a frown.

“What?” Mulligan asked, his face paling. 

“They’re considerin’ expansion.” Laurens held up his hands like he was going to surrender something, but then he dropped them. “I don’t, why would they even consider that?! I mean, they haven’t even let people in for decades! That’s bullshit, man!” Laurens was  _ fuming _ . “Wh-What, they just gonna fuck up everythin’ out there because they can’t chill and just recruit people? That’s  _ bullshit _ !” He got off of the bed and walked over to his kitchen, picking up his phone. 

“What’re you doing?” Mulligan asked, looking over at him.

“I’m texting Martha Wayles, tellin’ her to call a meeting together in the mezzanine.” 

Mulligan shot up, swinging his legs off the bed and standing up to walk over him. “Dude, chill for a moment, this is a small thing, we don’t even know if it really happened-”

“I ain’t takin’ any chances, we callin’ a meeting, okay?” Laurens’s entire face was red, his freckles still dark brown. When Laurens turned away, Mulligan closed his eyes, muttered something, and then looked hopefully at Laurens. He seemed to have calmed down, his cheeks were paling and his shoulders relaxed. Mulligan winked at Alex. 

God, Alex felt bad for setting him off. He tried to push away any thoughts concerning Laurens. Honestly, he was trying not to think of anything. He was scared that Laurens would make a comment about anything he thought about at the moment. 

“I’m not gonna make fun of you, Hamilton.” Laurens scoffed. “Herc, do you have my shirt?” 

“Yeah, man. What’d she say?” Mulligan asked, throwing Laurens’s bunched up t-shirt at him. He caught it with one hand, holding his phone up to his ear with the other, clearly annoyed. 

“Martha, look-” He stopped. Alex could faintly hear talking from the other line. Laurens mocked her, mouthing random words and rolling his eyes. He slammed his fist down on the table, letting go of his shirt. “This is fucking important, Wayles! Listen to me for one damn second, c’mon!” Most talking from the other line. Laurens had tightened his fists so much Alex was sure he was going to draw blood, or at least hurt himself. His knuckles were bone white. “I read his mind, Martha, I would have been able to detect if he was lying. And don’t tell me it’s because he’s new, you’re just saying that because he’s a human, hm?” 

There was silence. Both from Laurens’s end and Martha’s. Alex could faintly hear one syllable muttered, and it was clear and stern enough to come across clearly to Alex. 

_ Fine.  _

Laurens let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God. Okay, twenty minutes? Get everyone down there, can’t you do that voice throwing charm thingy?” 

As they continued their conversation, Alex looked at Mulligan. He went to sit on the bed, leaning close to him. He smelled like cologne. Alex vaguely remembered the smell lingering around Adrienne. 

“I thought he was high? What’s all this crap?” Alex panicked for a moment and looked at Laurens. He breathed a sigh of relief. His freckles were iridescent again. 

“Remember, my power’s empathy? I can sense and control emotions?” 

“Oh,” Alex smiled at him. “Is that what happened like a minute ago?” Alex pointed to the side, like there was a physical showing of what happened a minute ago. 

“Um, yeah. Sorry if you thought I was havin’ a seizure or somethin’.” 

“Oh, no, I just didn’t know what you were doing.” They sat there, Mulligan watching Laurens argue with Martha over the phone. 

“He’s difficult, but I love him, so I can deal with him.” Mulligan sighed. 

“Are you two together?” Alex cocked his head, for some reason his stomach dropped a little bit. It seemed negative, but he hadn’t been able to decipher excitement from disappointment in a long time. But, when Mulligan laughed, Alex realized whatever he felt was invalid. 

“Nah, I’ve just known him since I got here and we’ve been close as brothers since.” Mulligan blew a raspberry. “I dunno, he’s difficult, but he’s worth it.” Mulligan rolled back onto his back and began scrolling through his phone again. Alex sat there, staring at his hands. 

No, that feeling Alex had didn’t go away. He almost felt, he couldn’t put his finger on it, bad? Well, he didn’t feel _bad_. He felt _left out_. He remembered back when he transferred to another high school , he met someone. They immediately hit it off, but Alex felt completely disconnected to their other friends. Alex really wanted to get close to him, but it was virtually impossible to when he was already so close with the others. He knew it wasn’t his place to be someone’s _only_ friend, but there was a certain satisfaction of being someone’s _closest_. And he knew here, there wasn’t a possibility of getting closest to Mulligan or Laurens. That was disappointing. The uncanny similarities between that situation and the present one overcame Alex and put his stomach in knots. He nervously looked to see if Laurens was reading his mind. 

He let out a sigh of relief. They were iridescent. As Alex sighed, Mulligan looked at him. 

“You okay?” Alex jumped, looking back at him. 

“Oh, yeah. I was just zoning out.” Alex chuckled. 

Mulligan sat up, propping himself up on Laurens’s pillows. “Relatable. Anyway, Laurens, what’s the story?” 

Laurens had set his phone down and was standing at his fridge with his back turned to Alex and Mulligan. When he turned around, he had a carton of milk in his hand. Alex twisted his mouth. He was one of  _ those  _ people. Even when he lived alone, he wouldn’t even think about drinking straight from the carton. Laurens seemed to be the absolute opposite. He put the carton down on the counter, wiping his mouth off with his t-shirt (that he still hadn’t put on).

“Martha agreed to call a meeting. She said it would,” He paused to put his shirt on. He pulled it on, taking his hair out of it’s ponytail and flipping his head over to put it in again. “She said everyone should be there in like ten minutes.” Laurens jumped up to sit on the counter. “Do y’all wanna go down there now?” 

“I don’t care. What ‘bout you?” It took Alex a moment to realize Mulligan was talking to him. 

“Oh, well, I guess because you called it, we should probably be there before everyone.” Alex suggested, shrugging his shoulder overdramatically to dismiss the idea in case Mulligan and Laurens thought it was dumb. They didn’t seem like it, as they both nodded in agreement. 

“Alright. Laurens, you look like you just got out of bed.” Mulligan scolded him, raising an eyebrow. “Are you gonna change?” 

Laurens scoffed. “I always wear shit like this, people don’t expect anything else from me.” 

“Y’know, that may be the smartest and, at the same time, saddest thing you’ve ever told me.” Mulligan got up from the bed, stretching his arms above his head. 

“That’s my speciality.” Laurens winked at Mulligan, laughing as Mulligan ran over to him and put him in a headlock. Laurens punched him in the stomach, giggling as he sprinted to the door. He rapped on the door, sending backwards glances at Mulligan. 

“I ain’t gonna do anything, man.” Mulligan reassured him, adjusting his beanie before crossing his arms. “Yet.” 

“Shut up, Herc-” The door opened. Laurens peered past it, confused. “Martha? You in there?” 

There was a beat of silence before she answered, annoyed. “John, please. I told you I was leaving the door unlocked, didn’t I?” Martha pulled the door open farther, sarcastically putting her hand out like she was revealing something. “Why don’t you all come in?” She hissed, sneering at Laurens. They walked in, Laurens sticking his tongue out at her as he did. 

Alex tapped on Mulligan’s shoulder. “Why does Martha Wayles control all the stuff for the mezzanine? I dunno why, but it always seems like she answers the door and deals with all of it.” 

“Well, they were planning on closing off this area. The boundaries were unstable, probably because it’s a busy area and it used to be unlocked. Like a lot of other people here, Martha was super upset about it because, y’know, this place is fun. It’s got all the personal portraits up, it’s got a lot of books, and I dunno really, it’s just a big part of a lot of our lives here.

Anyway, Martha wanted to keep it, so she took the initiative and went to the King about it. After a lot, and from what I heard, a  _ lot  _ of persuasion, he finally agreed to keep it open.” He paused, clicking his tongue. 

“I’m assuming there was a catch to keeping it open?” Alex joked, but he wasn’t really joking. 

“Of course there was, it’s the King.” Mulligan chuckled. “He said that as long as it remained open, it had to be locked and Martha had to stay there to let people in.” 

“What happens when she goes to sleep? Or does she stay here all the time? That seems a little harsh.” 

Mulligan shook his head. “There’s another person who does it. Martha isn’t there all the time.” 

“Do you know them?” 

“Not really, but I’ve met them. They do a lot better with just letting anyone in without the interrogation.” Mulligan shrugged. “But, I guess more security is better.” 

Alex looked around, his attention drawn immediately to the area around the multicolor fireplace. There were a few people around, all sitting and talking on couches arranged in a circular setup. Alex scanned the people, spotting Dolley. She was sitting next to Elizabeth Sanders (Alex thought that was what her name was), deep in conversation. 

“I’m not sure who everyone is.” Alex mumbled, subconsciously moving closer to Mulligan.

“Oh, well, I’m assuming you remember Dolley,” He pointed to her. Dolley glanced in their direction, smiling. “She’s talking to Elizabeth Sanders. There’s Adams, he’s sitting next to Abigail.” He pointed to a small loveseat. Even from where Alex was sitting, he could see Abigail shaking. 

Abigail was pretty, but her tan skin was pale, so much so that she looked sick. She had one long, dark braid going over her shoulder. She wore a golden bindi on the center of her forehead that matched the bangles on her wrists. Adams had an arm around her, speaking to her quietly. Alex remembered Adams because he had cracks in his skin like an old doll. 

Alex twisted his mouth. They were sitting close enough that they left enough room for another person, but there wasn’t a wide enough space for a person to sit without feeling intrusive. Alex was a little annoyed, but he did feel bad for Abigail. She wrung her hands and leaned against Adams, sending paranoid glances to everyone sitting around. 

“Is she okay?” Alex whispered to Mulligan as they sat down next to Dolley and Elizabeth. 

“Who, Abigail?” Mulligan whispered, leaning closer to him. 

“Yeah, the one by Adams.” Some more people filed in and sat down around the area. Mulligan didn’t seem to notice.

“She’s been like that forever. I dunno if something happened to her, but she’s just got the worst anxiety. Wait, or paranoia, or more likely both. I feel bad for her.” He clicked his tongue. Elizabeth untucked her legs from under her and turned to Mulligan and Alex. 

“What are you two talking about?” She asked. She had a British accent. Alex knew that already, but he was reminded of it when she spoke to him. It was cute. 

“Alex was concerned about Abigail.” Mulligan whispered. Dolley leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. 

“I actually talked to her earlier, she’s doing a little better.” Dolley adjusted her hijab. “She’s had to take less medication and she can’t remember the last time she had a panic attack.” She smiled. 

“That’s good. Well-” 

“Okay, uh,” Martha interrupted Alex. She stood in front of the fireplace. “Laurens got y’all together-”

“Speak up.” Price heckled her from where he stood behind one of the couches. Alex looked around. 

Across from where Dolley, Elizabeth, Mulligan, and Alex sat was Abigail and Adams. Behind them Eliza, Laurens, and a girl and a boy Alex didn’t recognize were standing. There was a long couch to their right which was facing the fireplace. Thomas sat on the end, talking to Peggy, who was sitting cross legged on the floor in front of him. Burr was there too, next to Thomas and talking to a boy Alex didn’t recognize. George and Martha Washington were there next to them- Alex only knew them because he recognized them from their portraits. Martha Manning (also recognizable from her portrait) was leaning on the back of the sofa next to Price. 

Scattered around, here and there, were a few beings that Alex didn’t recognize and who were only speaking to each other, so Alex didn’t have anyone to ask who they were. Well, he did, he just didn’t want to.

Martha glared at Price, balling her hands into fists. “Mr. Price, please keep your commentary to a minimum, no one appreciates it.” 

“Hey, I appreciate it.” The boy Burr was talking to chuckled. “Kinda,” He held out the ‘kinda’. He had shoulder length dreads and big, energetic eyes that were surrounded by freckles. Alex let out a ‘hmph’. He had a boyfriend in college that looked like him. 

“We know you appreciate it, Eacker.” Laurens spat at him. Eacker, Alex guessed, shrugged submissively. 

“True,” Alex put the pieces together in his head. He remembered someone saying something about Eacker and Price.

“Shut up, everyone. So, Laurens called this together, I don’t-” 

A chorus of “why”s interrupted Martha. She crossed her arms. She glared around the room, especially at Price and Eacker. She was floating about a foot off the ground before everyone interrupted her, but she dropped down. She stormed over to Laurens and pointed to where she was previously standing. 

“Go,” Alex couldn’t hear over everyone discussing what they thought they were there for, but he could read Martha’s lips. Laurens nodded and switched places with her. When he got up to the front, Price booed him. 

“Dude, what are you-”

“Price, shut your ass for a moment, this is really important.” Laurens hissed. Price mocked him and stuck out his tongue. “Real mature. Anyway, so, y’all knew there was an assembly meeting today.” 

“Yeah, some of us are good enough to be in the Assembly.” Price snorted. Adams, the Washingtons, and Martha Manning all chuckled in agreement. 

“Price, please.” Laurens rubbed his temples. “What I was sayin’. As you guys know, very occasionally, mostly when somethin’ really important happens in the Assembly meeting, an article will show up ‘bout it somewhere in the library. And, also, as most of you know, when I get bored I just go lookin’ for random books because I don’t have anything’ better to do. Well, I found somethin’.” He paused for a moment. The girl Alex didn’t recognize who was talking to Eliza raised her hand. “Theodosia?” Her name was Theodosia. 

She had waist length black braids that were only about a shade darker than her skin. She was a centaur too, probably should have been the first thing Alex noticed. Her, uh, horse-half? Yeah, her horse-half was black, her muscles showing through the prominent muscles. She was really gorgeous, really. She only wore a small bralette on her human-half, but most of her chest was covered by her braids. Alex inwardly chuckled. He thought Eliza was tall. It was most likely because she was a centaur, but Theodosia was much taller than her. There was a good five inches between them. Once again. She was a centaur. 

Before she spoke, she cleared her throat. “I know this doesn’t change the fact that you saw it, but if it was something important enough to be recorded the day the meeting occurred, don’t you think the Assembly would have told us already?” She questioned him, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

“That’s true, but the Assembly has a track record of keepin’ important things from us.” Laurens said, making eye contact with Price. 

Price put a hand on his chest and blinked. “Look, last time I checked, bud, I’m not the only one in the Assembly here.” 

“Yeah, but you’re the most annoying.” Laurens grumbled. “That is not the point.” He paced back and forth, seemingly imitating a cliché detective from an old crime movie. “So, in the packet, it said some things that didn’t seem as important. Y’all already know that boundaries have been losin’ strength and humans have been able to wander in, yada, yada, yada. Y’all know the story. Well, the King decided that the best solution to this problem was, y’know, I’ma let y’all guess.” Laurens stopped and put his weight on one foot. 

Peggy’s hand immediately shot up. Laurens nodded at her. “Dad already told us they were just gonna send out more recruiters. I don’t really know why that’s such a problem, honestly. I think that’s a good idea, we’ve done that for-”

“Not what he was planning, Peg.” Laurens cut her off before she kept talking. “Continuin’ recruitment is a great idea. I mean, he accepted Hamilton, and he’s a human. So what’s to say he won’t accept others? But, no, the King apparently wasn’t focusing on the meeting,” He chuckled. “Y’all know what I mean.” 

There was a whoop from the crowd, and scattered gasps from the Assembly members. Martha Manning- she was the harpy, right?- pointed one of her wings at Laurens. 

“That’s uncalled for. Look, I understand your concerns, but you have-”

“Christ, Manning. I was makin’ a joke!” Laurens dramatically threw his head back, his hands rubbing his eyes. 

“For goodness sake, can you just tell us?” The boy Alex didn’t know who was talking to Eliza and Theodosia spoke up. He had a mess of curly hair that met his shoulders as well as his skin so covered in freckles it was as if someone had splattered paint on him. 

“Thank you,” Laurens didn’t say the boy’s name. “Okay, although continuing recruitment would be a great idea, the King has decided to take a more, uh, extreme handle on this situation. He wants to start expansion again.” Laurens obviously knew there was going to be noise, because he didn’t flinch as everyone started yelling. 

Alex, one: already knew what Laurens was going to say. Two: he didn’t really understand why that was so crazy. Then again, he didn’t really know what was considered crazy or normal here. The people who weren’t in the Assembly looked furious, Eliza and Theodosia looked sad. The Assembly members looked like they were trying to defend it, but Price was the only one who looked like they genuinely cared. 

They were all screaming for a while, attracting all of the attention in the mezzanine. Luckily, it was a huge room. If not, Alex was sure the other people would have strangled the group for being so loud. After about a minute of this, Price stood up and stepped forward. 

Everyone looked in his direction, some people continued to argue. Price put his hands on his hips and glared at Laurens. He took a breath, rolling his eyes. “I think it’s a great idea.” 

And Alex thought it was loud earlier. Most people stood up, leaning over the backs of chairs or flailing their arms around or both. Laurens stared at Price, his eyebrows furrowing. His freckles briefly changed to the same wispy grey as Price’s eyes, and his furious grimace only strengthened in intensity. 

“You  _ bitch _ .” Laurens spat, stepping back. Mulligan tensed next to Alex, raising slightly off of the couch. 

“What the hell, Laurens? It’s a fuckin’ opinion, you got yours and I got mine.” Price defended himself with the same confidence as Laurens had attacked him with. 

“That’s not the point! This is gonna fuck up human's lives! Y’all don’t think this actually gonna be beneficial to anyone.” Laurens hissed. At this point, everyone was looking at the two of them. The boy with the curly hair stood up and stepped forward, holding out his hands. 

“Richard, please-” 

“ _ Shut up _ , Philip.” Price snapped, whipping around. The boy’s name was Philip. And he looked crushed. Mulligan shot up at this point, storming forward to stand in front of Philip. Elizabeth Sanders did as well, standing in front of Laurens to point in Price’s face. 

“Leave him out of this, he’s trying to-”

“What the hell? None of you are a part of this!” Price shoved Elizabeth’s shoulders, his hands becoming solid as he did. It looked cool, it was like a gradient between his transparent skin and his tan skin. Elizabeth gasped, but not out of surprise, but out of disgust. She looked like she was about to do something, as she held up her hands and bit her lip as a cloud of black smoke appeared between them- but Thomas stood up. 

“I think it’s a good idea, as well.” Laurens turned his head, seemingly in gut wrenching slowmotion. 

“Jefferson, sit your pretty ass down or I will beat-”

“Now Laurens, I don’t think that kind of hostility should be shown here. Besides, Mr. Price was just trying to share his opinion-”

“I don’t care!” Laurens threw his hands up. “I don’t think it’s right! It ain’t right! Y’all are only thinkin’ for yourself! This is gonna be detrimental to us in the end, and you fuckers know that. Besides, after a while everything is gonna go to shit, and you know that. So as long as-” Thomas cut him off by clicking his tongue. It was really loud. Alex almost wanted to stop and ask him how he did that. 

He, of course, did not. 

“Laurens, please cut all the talking. We all know nothing important comes out of that little mouth anyway.” Thomas stood there for a moment, waiting for a response from anyone. Most people egged Laurens on, some people just seemed tired. Thomas sighed and closed his eyes to say something. 

Laurens was practically  _ crying  _ he was so angry. His face was dark red and his fists were visibly shaking from where he was standing and there were frustrated tears in his eyes. “J-Jefferson, what fucking  _ right  _ do-”

“Besides, even if something important did, no one wants-”

There was an audible crack, a yell from Laurens, and a small clink as Thomas’s tooth hit the hardwood floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, thank you so much for reading!  
> I really liked how this chapter turned out, the characterization is interesting.  
> It's really starting to pick up the pace, I'll tell you that.  
> Summer is already beginning to come to an end, and I've never been dreading it more.   
> Please comment! Nothing makes me happier than seeing your thoughts on my writing.   
> Have a good day, stay safe <3


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lots of information about the Assembly.  
> Jefferson puts himself in a bit of an awkward situation with literally everyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: mentions of transitioning

Angelica put down her glass and ran her finger around the edge. She had gone back out with Martha Manning and her sisters to try and get her mind off of things, but she couldn’t. She knew the King was eccentric (everyone did), but expansion? Angelica wanted what was best for the supernaturals, but she couldn’t support him. Even worse, she knew they would do it. And she knew her father would be a target afterwards. 

Eliza and Peggy both didn’t seem as concerned, Angelica couldn’t understand how. Angelica’s mind was foggy with all the possibilities, she couldn’t see one. She couldn’t even see the most probable one. The King was expecting her to help him and get rid of people who would mess up the expected timeline, but there were too many different branches. She couldn’t give him the answer he wanted to hear. 

She couldn’t  _ see  _ what he wanted to hear.

“Angie, please. Just, tell him no one’s getting in the way.” Eliza pleaded. She touched her hand. 

“That wouldn’t work.” Martha Manning muttered. “The King has been using your clairvoyance during meetings. You know that,  _ minha flor _ .” 

“Isn’t there a charm or something?” Peggy suggested. Angelica hissed, motioning for her to keep her voice down. They were in one of the dining rooms. Peggy spoke too loudly. “Sorry, isn’t there are charm?” She asked again, whispering. 

“There probably is, but if there was, I would have used it already.” Angelica sighed. She ran a finger through her hair. As she did, Eliza gasped. 

“Angie, you’ve got grey hairs!” She looked almost offended, her eyes drooping. Angelica only chuckled, dryly. 

“Hon, I’ve had grey hairs in  _ other  _ places for years, it was only a matter of time before they made their way up here.” She joked, evoking a few giggles from Peggy and Martha Manning, but she said it devoid of humor. 

“Can’t you dye it?” Peggy suggested, taking the lime from her margarita and putting it directly in her mouth. She made a face, but looked at Angelica. 

She shrugged and took a sip from the half empty wine glass in front of her. “I dunno. I’ll probably get crochet over dye, but I don’t really have anyone to fool.” She sighed. “Everyone knows I’m on the end of the line anyways-”

Eliza slammed her hand on the table. “Don’t say that!” The room got silent for a moment, but hastily filled itself with noise again. “Where would you get an idea like that, Angie?” Martha Manning raised an eyebrow. 

“Really? The poor thing has been on the King’s bad side for decades. She’s sisters with you two and your father is his biggest ally and rival. Especially with decisions like this, he’s going to take some negative reinforcement.” She explained, folding her wings up to her back. Harpies were known to say things as they were, but it was still disturbing to hear. 

“Is the King gonna kill you?” Peggy whispered, leaning closer to the table. 

“No, he’s not going to kill me, Peggy. And get your hair out of your drink.” Angelica scolded her, swatting her hand. Peggy scoffed, but did flick her braids over her shoulder. “Besides, he needs me.” 

“Not true, Angelica. There’s a reason Eliza isn’t on the Assembly.” Martha Manning looked down at the worn table. “That wasn’t meant to be rude.”

Angelica glances at Eliza, who sat and looked at Martha Manning. Her lips were parted and her eyebrows were furrowed, but she blinked and sank into her chair once she saw Angelica looking at her. “I know,” She scoffed. “I don’t want to be on the Assembly, anyway. I mean, if someone asked, I’d probably say no. It seems really stress-”

“‘Liza. You’re overcompensating again.” Peggy grumbled, her straw resting on her bottom lip. Angelica tapped her hand under her chin.

“Stop slouching and close your mouth, it’s rude. You look like you haven’t been taught manners in your life.” 

Peggy pushed her hand away. “Stop, you’re not my mom.” Although she said it lightly, Eliza paled and bit her lip. 

“Peggy, watch yourself.” 

“Angelica needs to stop acting like she’s my mom! Okay?” Peggy yelled across the table to her. More people turned around, glaring at her. 

“Peggy, please, people are staring-” Angelica tried to calm her down, but her tone gave off a more scolding effect. 

“See?! You’re embarrassed of me, or something! Just because Dad likes you the best doesn’t mean you can tell me shit-”

Angelica grabbed her wrist, furious. She could already see this was going to end poorly, but Peggy was pressing her buttons and she couldn’t help it. “Margarita, watch your mouth-”

Peggy forced her hand away, nearly knocking over the glass in front of her. “Don’t call me that! And you literally just did something Dad would tell me! You think you’re so much better than me-” 

“Peggy, stop it.” Eliza threatened. Martha Manning sat quietly, nervously glancing at the people who had turned to glare at them. “Respect her, she knows-”

“She does this all the time!” Peggy curled her lip and put on an annoying, nagging voice. “‘Peggy, watch your hair!’, ‘Peggy close your mouth!’ ‘Margarita, stop acting like you’re five’-” Angelica slammed her hand on the table. 

“Margarita, cut it out, okay? I’m warning-” 

Peggy stood up from the table, rattling the table and knocking over the glass in front of her. It spilled all over the table. She slammed her chair in and stormed out, her fists clenched tight. The others in the room turned their heads to watch her as she walked out. Angelica saw that coming, but she noticed her hands shaking. 

“What was that about?” Martha Manning looked more uncomfortable than anyone else. 

“It’s nothing, Peggy’s just, uh…” Eliza looked at Angelica, who was burying her face in her hands. “She’s…” 

“She’s sensitive.” Angelica snapped. That was true. Angelica knew better than to act like that, like Peggy’s mom, she meant. Yeah, Catherine Schuyler was her mom. She was Eliza’s too. But, Peggy was the only kid that she actually gave birth to. That didn’t make a difference to how she raised them, but there was a difference in the way she acted with Peggy. Angelica couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was there. The way that Catherine was a witch and passed it down to Peggy, that was always theirs. 

Angelica didn’t understand. She and Eliza both called their father ‘Dad’, but they called Catherine, well, ‘Catherine’. Peggy was taught by her mom. Maybe the time they spent practicing spellcasting together, or something along those lines, were the reason Angelica and Eliza never got a chance to be close with their mom. Peggy, however, adored Catherine. Angelica had never seen anyone think of someone so highly. Peggy loved her mother, far more than her father, that wasn’t a secret to anyone. 

When Catherine died, Peggy wasn’t the same. Angelica inwardly scoffed. Everyone said that whenever anyone died. But it was different with Peggy. She didn’t get sadder, no, she got happier. She got more sarcastic. She laughed more easily, she seemed more immature. She had a sharper tongue, a dirtier mind. 

She was more like Catherine. 

Angelica spoke to her father about her. To cope with her mother’s death, he said, she became more like her. It made her feel like they were still together, in a sense. Angelica didn’t understand what he meant, but her father told her not to question Peggy or make a comment about it. 

As time went on, Angelica began noticing the things her father chided Peggy on. Unbeknownst to her, she had started to do the same thing. Peggy  _ hated  _ her for it. 

“Angie, I’m sure she’s fine.” Eliza whispered, touching Angelica’s hand. “She’s just oversensitive. Okay? Don’t let it bother you.” She sat back in her seat, clearly very on edge.

Martha Manning awkwardly bit her lip. “So, uh.” She couldn’t make eye contact with Angelica. 

Ugh, Angelica wanted to hide. She saw that coming minutes before Peggy left, yet she let it happen and made everyone uncomfortable. 

“I’m so sorry, Martha Manning, I should have-”

“You shut that fight down, huh?” Martha Manning nodded her head at Angelica as she looked at her, confused. “I’m changing the subject.” She whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “That was crazy!” 

Angelica thought back to when she walked into the mezzanine, faced with a full on fist fight. She was surprised that Jefferson had taken part, but there wasn’t an atom in her body (or in anyone else’s, for that matter) that was surprised that John Laurens was there too. After asking Mulligan what had happened, she learned that they had gotten in a fight about the recent discussion at the meeting. She didn’t understand how they found out, but she wouldn’t have been surprised if someone had told everyone. It was a really intense decision, that was sure to have caused a lot of controversy. 

“God, I know. That kid can sure put up a fight for being as tiny as he.” Angelica sighed. “Do you know how he found out?”

Martha Manning shrugged and rested her head on her hand. “Well, he said that there was a document in the library, which, don’t get me wrong, is plausible. But, I believe one-hundred percent that he read someone’s mind. He probably got in a fight with Price over something, read his mind, and then found out. I dunno, though.” She shrugged. 

“No, he read someone’s mind.” Eliza sighed. She didn’t say who, but they both knew she was right. Clairvoyance came in handy. 

Angelica sighed. She buried her face in her hands, trying to take in a deep breath without shaking. “I’m so tired. I don’t want to do this anymore.” 

Eliza let out a sob, her hand flying up to her mouth. “Angie, please, leave if you need-”

“She can’t.” Martha Manning barked. Eliza looked at her, her hands flying down onto the table. 

“Why not? I’m sorry, Martha Manning, I understand the dangers, but Angelica is miserable! I can’t see my sister like-” 

“Elizabeth, I’m not going to leave.” Angelica looked at her, touching her hand in a grounding manner. “I just, might take the next few meetings off.” 

Angelica couldn’t see, but when she looked up at Eliza, she was crying. When Eliza cried, you could only hear her take in breaths. She was the ugliest crier in the world, but that almost made you more set on getting her to stop. 

“Eliza, stop, please.” Angelica tried, but it was no use. 

“I can’t! You’ve said this for centuries now! I’m done seeing you like this!” Eliza pressed, choking on her voice a few times. “I’m gonna talk to Daddy about it-”

“Don’t! Eliza, would you rather have me stressed and alive or  _ dead _ ?” Angelica hissed, leaning close to the table. This put Eliza off more. 

She stood up from the table, still sobbing (Angelica wasn’t surprised no one looked at her. Peggy had numbed them.). 

“I-I’m gonna f-f-find Peggy.” She cried, turning away and running out the door. 

“Okay, Angelica. Let’s pretend your sisters weren’t even here.” Martha Manning smiled. “Have you spoken to anyone about leaving?” 

Angelica let out a loud breath, letting her head loll to the side. “Yeah, Price. But you know him, he didn’t really take it seriously. At all. He kinda laughed it off and then went on a rant about how if  _ he  _ was in the Assembly, he wouldn’t complain and shit like that.” 

Martha Manning just raised her eyebrows and humphed. “Well, last time I checked, he hasn’t been in the assembly for the past five hundred years.” She reassured her. 

“That’s true. I dunno, he just really sucks sometimes.” Angelica took a sip of the water Eliza left. 

“Why don’t you stop hanging out with him?” 

“Because I like him, y’know? He’s chill to be around, and you can’t just drop one of your friends like that.” 

“He treats you like shit, Angelica. And it’s probably just because you won’t get in his pants.” She snorted. She tightened the little half bun on the top of her head. 

“No, that’s not true. He has two boyfriends, which is more than I’ll ever have.” 

“Because you’re lesbian.” 

“ _ Technically _ , I’m bi. But I’ve never dated a guy, so touché.” She ran a finger through her hair. “But that’s not the point. I just-” She scoffed. “I dunno, he’s difficult. You know him, people don’t like him. And, granted, he’s a dick, but I feel bad. And I like him. So, I’ll put up with him for as long as I can. He hasn’t done anything yet to make me not like him.” 

Martha Manning downed the rest of her drink. “Alright, Angie.” 

______________________________________________________________________

 

“T-Thomas, I feel like yo-yo-you’re not listening t-t-t-to me.” Madison mumbled. He stood behind his counter, facing Thomas who was splayed out against the headboard of Madison’s bed with a hand over his face. 

“I am. Don’t worry.” He sighed. He ran his hand down his face and groaned as he did. “But what are you even worried about?” 

Madison scoffed and began walking towards him. “I-I du-dunno, expansion j-ju-just seems harsh, y-y’know?” He sat on the foot of the bed. “You a-aren’t listening. I c-can tell.” 

“Sorry, there’s just something on my mind.” Thomas sat up, leaning forward to grab Madison’s hand. He fought with the ends of his sweater for a moment. Madison wore sweaters that were usually two sizes too big. “I’m sorry.” Madison looked at him and pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up on his nose. 

“What’s wr-wr-wrong?” He adjusted to face Thomas. 

“It’s really not a big deal. Besides, you’d be mad at me for it.” Thomas laid back and let out a sigh. 

“T-Thomas, do-don’t do that. I-If you d-don’t want to t-tell me, don’t.” Madison crossed his arms and bounced his leg on the ground. 

“No, you wouldn't like it.” Thomas let out another melodramatic sigh and threw his head back on the pillow. “I don't want you to be mad at me. 

“You s-sound l-like a tee-teenage girl wh-who's act-acting like sh-she has problems.” He near scolded Thomas, peering at him over his glasses. “I won-won't keep as-asking you. You kn-know this.”

Thomas groaned. “Promise you won't be mad?” He stuck out his lip. Madison just let his jaw fall slack and slapped Thomas’s leg. 

“S-Shut up and tell me.” 

“Well,” Thomas sat up and looked wistfully around the room. “I've been thinking. You know, I've been here for a really long time. I've been here longer than half the people in the Assembly.” As he finished his sentence, Madison winced. 

“W-Where are y-y-you go-going with this?” He seemed to be suspicious, more than anything. “I really h-h-ho-h-” He stopped and took a breath. “ _ Hope,  _ hope that you a-aren't g-going where I th-think.” 

Without warning, Thomas leaned forward and kissed Madison, his hands firmly on either side of his face. Madison tried to push him away, but he broke into giggles before he could stop Thomas from flipping them over. Madison adjusted himself against the headboard as Thomas nestled himself between his legs and rested his head on Madison’s knee. 

“You're t-trying to dis-distract me from something!” Madison snapped. He wasn’t even giggling anymore, he was just annoyed. 

“Mads, I love you, y’know-”

“I will kick you out.” Madison didn’t stutter as he threatened him. Thomas uncomfortably shifted. He bit his lip and looked around the room. “T-Thomas, we t-tell each other e-ev-everything.” 

Thomas threw his head back, his hair flattening against Madison’s leg. “Okay, well, I’ve been talking to Price a lot recently and he’s been saying it’s more and more difficult to make decisions during Assembly meetings.” He turned his head to look at Madison. “You following?” 

Madison glared at him. “You li-liter-literally told me o-one thi-thing.” 

“I know, I know. Well, they’ve started needing more and more input, right?” 

“Thomas, wh-what the he-hell ar-are you getting at?” Madison wasn’t messing around anymore. His cheeks were flushed with frustration and his eyebrows were furrowed. Thomas stifled a laugh. Much like a cartoon, the wispy smoke fading out of his mouth got more intense when he was angry. 

“I’m sorry, I just-”

“Thomas,”

“Okay, I’ve been here for centuries, don’t you think I should be on the Assembly?” Thomas blurted, sitting up straight. 

The smoke cleared from Madison’s mouth, letting Thomas know he had stopped breathing for a second. It wasn’t surprising. The Assembly was really unpopular between everyone. They made decisions for the quality of their lives, not for the better of everyone else. Especially the good of humans. Exactly the reason why Thomas wanted to join. If he couldn’t have a good life, might as well join something that made it better. 

“See? I knew you were going to be mad!” Thomas stood up and walked off the bed, his feet hitting the ground with a loud thud. “I shouldn’t have told you-”

“T-Thomas! What do y-you me-mean j-join the Asse-Assembly?” Madison sat up, disturbed. “Yo-You’re the m-most po-powerful one w-with us, y-you-you can’t leave!” 

“One, that’s not true. Two, if I’m on the Assembly I can make decisions to help everything that we don’t like. Right?” Thomas tried to talk to him, but Madison was fuming. 

“W-W-Wha-What about A-Ang-Angel-” He let out a groan of frustration. “Angelica! G-God-Goddammit, Angelica!” He didn’t swear, not usually. It was always a rare occasion for him to be really upset- upset enough to swear, at least. “Yo-You see h-how much sh-she tears herself a-apart be-b-because of the As-Assembly! Wh-Why would yo-you wan-want to do that to y-yo-youself?” 

“Because it gives me power, that’s why! Why wouldn’t you  _ not  _ want to join?” Thomas retaliated. His wings ruffled (partially by instinct, partially to intimidate Madison. It didn’t work). 

“But you h-ha-have enough! Yo-You have fr-friends! We all lo-love yo-you, c-come on!” 

“You can’t convince me not to do this. I talked to Price, Angelica’s already planning on leaving. I’ll take her spot and it’ll be like nothing ever happened.” 

“T-Thomas-”

“End of story.” Thomas made a line motion with his hands, signalling for Madison to be quiet. “Zip it, you can’t make me change my mind.” 

“You’re b-being ir-ir-irrational! Just yes-yesterday you we-were ranting ab-about h-how a-awful the Ass-Asse-Assembly was! Wh-What chan-changed?” 

Thomas looked like he was debating whether or not to say something. After a small curl of his lip and blink, Madison knew what he was thinking. 

“D-Don’t yo-you dare-”

“So things can’t change, huh?” Thomas balled up his fists. “Is that what you’re telling me?” 

“I s-swear to G-God, Th-Thomas-”

“You’re telling me people can’t change? No, that’s what you’re telling me!” Madison got off the bed, storming over to him.

“People c-ca-can chan-change! They c-can, j-just not po-polit-political opi-opinions in two days, T-Thomas!” 

“Look down your shirt, Madison.” Thomas crossed his arms. 

Madison parted his lips, dumbfounded. “You’re k-k-kidding.” He did, though. He pulled the neck of his shirt away from him. “What? Hm?” 

“What’s there?” 

“A binder. Wh-What do you w-want?” 

“You changed. You changed for the better, right?” Thomas looked expectantly at Madison. Madison crossed his arms, his cheeks flushing a dark fuchsia. “And I love you for it. You’re happier this way. And I love you more for it. Because this is you. You’re not Maddie. Right?” Thomas reached out his arms and pulled Madison into an embrace.

“That’s a s-st-stupid an-analogy.” Madison mumbled against his chest. 

“I know, but it’s how I’m telling you. You changed and I supported you. I know transitioning was one bajillion times more important and sentimental than me shifting opinions on the Assembly, but it’s just to make you think.” He pulled away and smiled down at Madison. 

An incredulous expression was still plastered on his face. “Fine. Y-You can as-ask the K-King ab-about it. B-but I don’t s-su-s-support you o-on it.” Madison turned away from him and walked into his kitchen, opening one of his cabinets and taking out a box of cereal. “Yo-You can le-leave now.” 

Thomas gaped at him, a semi-hurt frown on his lips. “Mads, c’mon. I told you because I wanted to work with you on it. I trust you-”

“Get out, okay?” Madison snapped at him, sitting down on his bed with his hand wrist-deep in the box already. 

Thomas threw up his hands in defeat and turned to the door. “Sorry I offended you, Jesus-”

“S-Shut up, as-asshole!” The door slammed shut before Thomas could receive the insult. 

______________________________________________________________________

 

Jefferson attempted to not be distraught over what happened with Madison. It was hard, though. Yeah, he was technically dating Martha Wayles. But they had been slowing down for ages, and he just didn’t like her as much anymore. If someone had asked Jefferson who he liked, he would probably say Madison. It wasn’t a secret, anyway. 

The library was quiet (like it always was), but there were a considerably less amount of people there than usual. The library wasn’t a super popular hangout spot for anyone, but there were usually a lot of people there. It was nice. The smell of old books was powerful and there was something really calming about being surrounded by thousands upon thousands of old books. Jefferson wasn’t there to admire the aesthetic of an old library. He had to find Lafayette. He didn’t know why he was so compelled to tell him about his desire to join the Assembly. Maybe there was something about being his cousin that made him believe that he wouldn’t turn against him or hate him for it. 

Then again, he had used similar reasoning with Madison. That didn’t go very well. 

Jefferson took long strides walking down the center aisle, peering down each branch to see if he could spot the demon. Lafayette was usually in the library, and Jefferson had thought about him while walking through the door, so he was either correct or everything had really gone to shit. He kept walking, trying to think about how he would bring up the topic. He wanted to just blurt it out, not to linger on it. Lafayette was close to Paine, so they would consider what Lafayette said more than Jefferson. 

He stopped in the center of the long aisle and huffed. He was two seconds away from yelling Lafayette’s name, but someone called his name before he got the chance. 

“Frère, il a été un moment.” Lafayette was leaning down from a balcony, his head resting in his hands. “What brings you here? We all know you do not read.” He teased. His hair was down, framing his face unsymmetrically and, if Jefferson wasn’t his cousin, attractively. 

“Dear, pull your hair up before people think you’re me and are relieved by the transformation.” Jefferson let out a small chuckle. Lafayette reeled back, putting a hand on his chest, mocking offence. 

“Why? Parce que je suis mieux que vous? We all know you have been jealous of me.” As he spoke, he climbed down the ladder. He walked up to Jefferson and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I have regretted not speaking together as often, my sincerest apologies-”

“No need to apologize. Life got in the way.” 

“We both know that is not true for one of us.” Lafayette bit his tongue with his lips drawn back in a grin. Then his expression grew solemn. “It is me.” 

“Nonsense,” Jefferson slapped his arm, leading him to one of the sitting areas. “We all know that isn’t true.” 

“What is new with me?” Lafayette giggled, snapping his hair tie against his wrist. 

Jefferson twisted his mouth. “How has Adrienne been?” 

Lafayette was silent for a few moments. He opened his mouth and drew in a shaky breath. “She, she has been better.” 

“Gilbert-”

“Do not call me that.” 

“I’m trying to get my point across. It’s serious, okay?” Jefferson sat down in one of the armchairs near the fireplace. There was a centaur and a nymph sitting opposite to them, but they were completely engrossed in an atlas laying on a podium. “How has Adrienne been?” 

“She has been fine.” Lafayette demanded, still standing up. He pulled his hair up as he glared down at Jefferson. 

“Laf, please, talk to me-”

“Do not patronize me, Thomas.” Lafayette barked. The centaur and nymph turned around, whispering to each other before hurrying off down a branch of the library. “I know what is happening between me and my wife and you do not have the right to question me about it.” 

“Lafayette, I’m sorry, we all just want the best for you-”

“Déposez-la, d'accord? Why did you find me?” He sat down, crossing his legs. 

Jefferson took a deep breath. He wanted to get straight to the point. “I, uh, I want to join the Assembly.” 

Lafayette blinked. 

“Pardon?” Jefferson winced, but didn’t step down. 

“I want to join the Assembly. I really do. I think I could-”

“No,” Lafayette shook his head, his lips pursed disapprovingly. “I do not trust them. I do not want you signing your life away-”

“That won’t happen. That’s not what they do, you just-”

“I have spoken to Adrienne about it before. She told me she would quit if she could. They do not allow you to live anymore, you will be-”

“I know how it’ll work! It’s a big commitment, but by the time that I want to leave the King will have been replaced!” Lafayette laughed. 

“What do you mean? He is not going to be dethroned, ever. There is a reason he has been king for so long. He is immortal.  _ Immortal _ , as in he will not die. 

“I thought you were going to support me! I thought you of all people would be with me on this!” Jefferson lept up from his chair, his voice far too loud than what would be appropriate for a library. 

“Au calme! Vous êtes si fort!” Lafayette stood up, motioning for him to be quiet with his hands. “I am sorry, Thomas, but I cannot support you. I told Laurens and Hercules that I would meet them around this time,so I have to go.” 

Jefferson scoffed. “You’re seriously bailing on my because I told you that? God, are you that offended-”

“I will speak to you later, Thomas.” Lafayette mumbled, walking away from Jefferson and in the direction of the exit door. 

Jefferson stood there, dumbfounded. He wanted to punch something, or scream, both of which were entirely unacceptable in his current position. He took a book from the shelf and opened it, ripped out a few pages, and then threw it against the bookcase from which it came. Othello. Shakespeare was stupid. Jefferson waited for a few moments, his fists clenched so tightly that he was sure his nails were going to make his palms bleed. He finally calmed down enough to head towards the exit door, but a hand on his shoulder made him whip around. 

Price hovered there, his solidified arm outstretched. Cool thing about wraiths. Price could make any part of his body solid when he wanted to. Probably an unfair advantage during fights. 

“Price? What-”

“Angelica wants to leave the Assembly.” He blurted, his eyes darting around nervously. “She told me right before I came to find you.” 

“Wh-” Jefferson cocked his head. “How did you find out I wanted to be on the Assembly?” 

“Madison told Dolley, but you know Dolley, she runs her mouth and won’t shut up until it benefits her. Anyway, she told everyone.” Price took a shuddering breath. “I wanted to tell you that her spot might be open soon.” 

“As in she’s going to quit?” Jefferson asked, incredulously. 

“No, dumbass! Once this shit gets to the King he’ll have her killed! This dude doesn’t fuck around and you know it.” Price looked around again. “Just, keep it on the low, okay? I want in, too. We can probably get in together if we play our cards right.” 

This was going to fast for Jefferson. He blinked, trying to put everything together. “Wait, I’m confused still-”

“Angelica wants to leave. You want in. Angie’s gonna get killed, her spot’s gonna be open.” Price nodded. “We talk to the King and ask him what he needs done, right? If we can prove that we know what we're doing, he'll let us in in place of Angelica." Jefferson took a breath, but Price held up his hands. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm confident it might work if we pull enough strings."

Jefferson stood still for a moment. His stomach was doing backflips, but not out of disgust and fear for Angelica’s life, but out of excitement. For the first time in what seemed like forever, things may have been looking up for him. He took a few anchoring breaths, gnawing on his bottom lip. After a few moments of silence, he spoke. 

“You want to join too?” He asked Price.

“Yep,” 

“You help me and I’ll help you, alright?” 

Price grinned, a malicious one, definitely. “Definitely,” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...  
>  Hi.  
> I literally have no excuse.  
> I didn't want to write this, so I didn't. I would rather go on "hiatus" for two months than force out content I'm not proud of, so I hope this is okay!  
> I'm not going to say when my next update will be, because I genuinely don't know.  
> I hope you enjoyed this long-awaited chapter! Please comment, I read and appreciate every single one!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Price makes a few decisions, Philip cuts off ties, and Alex jumps into the deep end.

Price was confident that his plan would work. Well, it wasn’t necessarily a real  plan yet, but he had an idea of what he was going to do. He felt semi-guilty about Angelica’s fate, but there was nothing he could do at that point. Price didn’t assume she would tell the King, but the rumors would get out at some point. Angelica told her sisters and Martha Manning, and neither of them were necessarily good secret-keepers. Especially Peggy. 

But, Price didn’t need to think about it now. He looked around the portrait hall, slowly walking towards the door on the other end. Charlotte’s portrait was looking solemn, which was unusual for her. Her portrait was usually sporting a Mona Lisa-esque smile, her eyes sparkling. But her head was lowered slightly, no smile evident on her face. Price frowned at her, alarmed to see her force a smile once he caught her attention. 

He continued on, a little concerned, but he didn’t keep it in his mind once he reached the door. He knocked. He spoke to Angelica about the scheduling, so he had a meeting with the King. He was hoping that there weren’t many Assembly members in the throne room when he went. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be good for him if the room was packed. The slot in the door opened, revealing Steuben’s red and purple eyes.

“Who is it?” He demanded, more than asked. 

“Uh, Price.” 

Steuben looked down and hummed. “Mm, don’t have a ‘Price’ here. We have someone with the last name Price, but clearly that isn’t you.” He looked back through the slot, his eyes unimpressed. Price knew he had a clipboard that he carried around with him with meeting schedules and information. Steuben was an asshole. 

“You’re kidding me.” Price asked, scoffing. 

“I’m sorry, we take our meetings very seriously-”

“Oh my God, Richard Price.” He hated his first name. Everyone and their brother knew that. 

“Ah! Richard, we do have you! Why didn’t you tell me? Come on in,” Steuben shut the slot and opened the door, his expression annoyed. “You’re late.” 

“Shut up,” Price hissed, sneering at him. He looked into the throne room, a small sigh of relief escaping his lips. The King was on the throne, Seabury on his lap, Martha Manning was talking with Adrienne near the wall. They were the only people in the throne room. Martha Manning already knew, so he was really only telling three people. 

“Just, I dunno, go do what you need to do.” Steuben pointed in the direction of the King. 

Price gave a fake smile to him, turning on his heel to walk up the long room to stand in front of the King’s throne. Adrienne and Martha Manning seemed to take notice of him, but they didn’t let the King know. The King definitely wasn’t paying attention, per usual. Instead, he lounged against the arm of the throne with Seabury on top of him, their lips pressed together. The King broke away from him every few seconds to say something to Seabury, too low and muffled for Price to hear. 

Price cleared his throat. He tapped his foot on the ground, annoyed, trying his best to remain patient as the King ignored him. Seabury arched his back and neck backwards, a giggle escaping his rosy lips as the King moved to kiss and bite at his neck. Seabury was bent back so far he could look at Price, and when he did, his expression grew solemn. He sat back up, pushing the King away from him and whispering something. The King’s gaze shifted towards him. 

He smiled with poorly concealed animosity. “Mr. Price, we’ve all been expecting you.” 

_ Sheesh _ , he looked like he was just  _ quaking  _ with anticipation. Price hated this guy. 

“Your Majesty,” Price bowed, rolling his eyes once he was bent over. “I wanted to discuss Assembly positioning.” Seabury glared at him, his lip curled. 

“Darling, don’t look so offended.” The King scolded him, adjusting their position so Seabury sat on one of his knees. “What kind of positioning?” 

_ Blimey _ . “Uh…” Price bit his lip. “Like, member-wise. I dunno, I just-”

“Good God, please have a semi-formed plan in your mind before you take up my time.” The King leaned back with his hand pressed against his temple, the other was white-knuckled and wrapped around Seabury’s waist. 

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I’ve just been a bit busy lately-”

“That’s an excuse, Mr. Price.” The King blew a strand of hair from his face. “You know I don’t have time for excuses.” His voice was sing-song and degrading, but anyone who had ever talked to the King had grown accustomed to hearing this tone. 

“I’m incredibly sorry for the excuse, Your Majesty.” Price said, attempting to sound sincere even through clenched teeth. 

“What do you want?” The King was already losing patience. His eyes kept darting to Seabury, then to Adrienne and Martha Manning, and then back to him. “You were talking about, what was it? Positioning?” 

Price stammered. “Ah, uh, yes. Your Majesty,” He figured it wouldn’t do him any good to keep stalling. “I think it would be a beneficial decision to replace Mr. Steuben with me.” 

For a moment, Price was silent. He was internally wincing, he was outwardly blushing like mad, but no one laughed. Adrienne and Martha Manning turned to look at him, each one looking more intrigued than offended in some way. Seabury didn’t get the memo and snickered, but became silent as the King flicked him on the back of the head. The King genuinely looked interested.    
“You want to replace him?” His eyebrow was raised and he began drumming his fingers on the arm of the throne. He had heard that that’s when you knew you said something right. That’s when you knew he was interested. 

“Um, yes.” Price swallowed down bile that had risen in his throat from nervousness. 

“Why?” 

See, Price was prepared for this. 

“Well, I was just thinking. The Assembly is all about improvement, and moving forward, yet Steuben’s power is looking back in time. Not only is that kinda, uh, symbolically bad, I guess, but it’s not useful. Now, I completely understand that you’re probably thinking that I can’t offer anything better.” Price stood there for a moment, an uncomfortable grimace on his face. “You’d be correct.

But! I’m a wraith, I can turn invisible. If we’re working on expansion, it would be helpful for someone to be able to go out and observe what’s going on.” He explained, all in one breath. 

The King clicked his tongue. “We already have human-matched supernaturals, we don’t need another.” 

“Here’s the thing.” Price licked his lips nervously. “I can turn invisible. And again, I know that there are some supernaturals with that ability but I’m a wraith. So, I’m basically a poltergeist. I can’t think of any specific situations where that would be necessary, but I know it will be. Besides, if expansion is really going to wreak that much havoc in the physical world, world leaders are going to have meetings. I can get in. Steuben can’t.” 

Price stood there for a moment, his long-winded monologue cut off undramatically once he ran out of air. There was a beat of silence before Adrienne gave him a short applause. The King, however, looked  _ very _ interested. 

“I genuinely appreciate your rigor, Mr. Price.” Price let out a sigh of relief, but he tensed as the King continued. “But, in our present state, you've done nothing to prove to me that you  _ deserve _ to be on the Assembly. Steuben has. He fought for the supernatural world in Athens, which I understand you felt the aftermath of, but you weren't there. I could list a hundred ways my dear Steuben has supported us, but I can reduce it to a few words.” The King leaned forward. He put his elbow on his knee and resumed a solemn and rather apathetic look, but he looked dangerous. 

“Steuben has  _ killed  _ for my sake.”

Price furrowed his eyebrows. He opened his mouth to retaliate, but he couldn’t find the words to speak. 

“Speechless, huh?” The King snickered and leaned back in his throne, drumming his fingers on the arms. “Prove to me you’re better than Steuben. Then I’ll consider it.” 

Yes, the key word was consider. 

But Price couldn’t help the excited gasp that escaped his lips. 

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty. That’s b-brilliant. I wo-won’t let you d-down.” He was shaking. “I won’t le-”

“Mrs. Adrienne, please see our dear friend out. I have things to do.” The King obviously didn’t, really, as he immediately turned back to Seabury and they began doing what they had been doing when he arrived. 

Adrienne nodded and sashayed across the room, taking Price’s solidified arm in hers and smiling down at him. “Nice declaration, love.” She murmured in his ear as she opened the door for him. “Good luck,” 

Price turns to say something in response, but Adrienne slams the door in his face before he has time to think of anything. 

______________________________________________________________________

 

“You’re such a jerk!” Philip yelled across the table at Laurens. He threw down the fanned cards he was holding in his hands, standing up from the table. “I hate playing cards with you.” 

Eacker scoffed and reached over to slap Philip’s backside, evoking a squeak from him. “He can read minds, babe, what do you expect?” 

“I expect him not to  _ cheat _ .” Philip angrily stormed over to Laurens’s fridge, opening it with more gusto than needed. Eacker cast a glance at Laurens, whose freckles were the same vibrant purple as Philip’s eyes. 

“Maybe I’m just really good at Blackjack.” Laurens shrugged. He reached across Eacker to grab Mulligan’s glass of something, sliding it across to him. 

“Yo, give it back.” Mulligan reached back over to Laurens and attempted to steal his glass back, but Laurens leaned half out of his chair to hold the drink away from him. 

“Nah, you said if I won I get to have the rest of the Sprite. Guess who won?” He teased, bringing the rim of the glass to his lips. 

Mulligan threw the cards at Laurens, giggling. “You shithead, you cheatin’ too, and that ain’t part of the bet.” Laurens gaped at him, his eyebrows furrowing. Before he could respond, Mulligan spoke again. “You said ‘I ain’t gonna cheat this time’! And bullshit, you said you had more Sprite, so you’re wrong.” 

“I ain’t cheatin’, though!” Laurens laughed, standing up from the table. Eacker sat against his chair, picking at something in his teeth. He glanced up at Philip, who was standing by the fridge with a confused expression. With a quick giggle, Eacker snorts and flips his dreads over his shoulder. 

“Why don’t ya’ll fight for it?” He suggests, raising an eyebrow. 

Mulligan scoffs and looked at Laurens, who was staring him down. “Woah, wait are we actually-”

Before Mulligan can finish his statement, Laurens lunges at him. Something between a scream and a laugh escaped his lips as he barreled into Mulligan, not even phasing him. Mulligan was easily twice Laurens’s weight, and he was a lot taller than him by a longshot. It wasn’t surprising that when Laurens threw his entire body weight on Mulligan, he didn’t budge. 

Laurens pulled away and looked up at him, his eyes shining. 

“Why don’t you fight me like a man? Did Laf soften you up?” Laurens let out a jackal-like cackle before sprinting past Mulligan’s arms as he went to grab him. Mulligan laughs. His laugh was a loud, booming one that shook the floor and vibrated your ribs, but it made you feel so good inside, you couldn’t find anything wrong with it. It probably had something to do with his empathic powers, but it was a nice feeling. 

“Really? We’re playing that game?” Mulligan bit his lip and grinned. “Well I’d say that you’ve been a little defensive lately.” 

Laurens lunged forward to hit Mulligan’s chest. 

“Oh?” 

Mulligan caught Laurens’s wrist and swung him around, grabbing his other arm so Laurens lost his balance. 

“Y’know, how you get all closed off when you like someone?” Mulligan teased. Laurens’s face fell for a moment, but then his nose scrunched up in a playful grin. 

“Elaborate,” He jumped forward and attempted to put Mulligan in a headlock. 

Mulligan stopped him by picking him up from under his arms, which made Laurens break out in an obnoxiously loud fit of giggling. “We all know you’ve got the hots for Hamilton, so-”

Laurens squirmed out of his grasp and shrieked with laughter. “‘Got the hots’? You eighty?” Before Mulligan had time to turn around and catch him, Laurens sprinted forward to jump onto Mulligan’s back. 

Right before Mulligan was about to throw Laurens onto the floor, there was a knock at the door. Everyone froze. Laurens was giggling still, but he still managed to ask who it was. 

“Who is it?” 

There was a bit of a pause before there was a response. “It’s Price.” The British accent confirmed that what he was saying was true. Laurens jumped off of Mulligan and skipped over to the door, apparently forgetting completely about what Mulligan had said earlier. He opened the door. 

“Why are you here?” He was obviously trying to sound pissed that Price had shown up, but his chuckling gave him away. 

“Are Philip and Eacker here?” Price crossed his arms. “I want to talk to them.” 

Laurens blinks for a second and then scoffs. “No hello?” Price glares at him and shoves past him (floats partially through him, the bastard). “Hey, I know we don’t like each other, but at least show some hospitality.” 

“Hey, can we go?” Price looked at Philip, an anxious expression on his face. Philip looks at Eacker, his fingers trailing a circle around the can of soda he was holding. 

“Wait, but-”

“This is  _ important _ .” Price urges. Laurens can see the genuine concern in his eyes. Like a reasonable person, Laurens decided to read his mind. His freckles faded into a smoky grey. He took his hair out of his ponytail and flipped over to put it back up just so Price couldn’t see him. 

_ Philip… Kill… Assembly.... Kill… Eacker… Membership… Member… Kill…  _

__ Laurens glared at him, his heart beating faster. He tried to put the pieces together in his mind, but it was hard. Price ha a lot of stuff going in in his head at the moment. 

“What?” Philip moved across the room, his voice soft. Price’s arm went solid as Philip touched it. “Just tell us here-”

“ _ I don’t want to _ .” Price urged, solidifying his arm out of retaliation. “Please, come-”

“Price,” Eacker leaned back in his chair, tediously balancing on the back two legs. “Is this about me criticizing you last night? Because if it is, I’m-”

“No, no, it’s not, Jesus Christ.” 

As if a light switch was flipped, everything came to Laurens.  _ Price was going to join the Assembly.  _

“Please, you two, I just-”

“You’re joinin’ the Assembly.” Laurens blurted. 

Price looked at him, his transparent face pale. “W-What?” Laurens felt his hands curl into fists, but he wasn’t really processing it. It felt disconnected from him. 

Laurens had always had an innate hatred when it came to the Assembly. He really didn’t understand why. He was close to Charlotte, even before he entered their world, and seeing how the King treated her made him hate the system even more. Hierarchies already pissed him off, especially ones where all you had to do was fuck someone or kill someone (or both, when the King gets bored) and then you were in. 

Besides, Laurens hated Price so  _ Goddamn  _ much, this was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. Laurens didn’t know why he hated him so much. That alien fury inside him that he never experienced with anyone else except for his own father and the first boy he ever liked, it was there. Price was a bad person. Laurens knew that. When Laurens first came in, Price made a comment about how Puerto Ricans weren’t supposed to be supernaturals and spewed bullshit like that.

Technically,  _ none of them _ were  _ supposed  _ to be supernaturals. 

But Laurens didn’t take pride in anything more than where he came from, so that struck a nerve right away. Then, a few weeks later, they got into a fight. Laurens didn’t even know about his ability to turn certain limbs solid at will, so it wasn’t a fair fight. That wasn’t fair at all. Price had only ever reportedly turned himself completely physical when he was in the human world and to have sex. 

Overall, anything he did pissed Laurens off.  _ Especially  _ joining the Assembly. 

“You’re joining the Assembly, idiot.” Laurens spoke again, over enunciating the pauses in between each word. He spat ‘idiot’ so intensely, he actually spit onto the floor. Price would have usually made a comment about how he was disgusting, but instead, he looked terrified. 

“I- Uh, that’s not your place to say-”

“Bull. Shit.” Laurens challenged. Price’s brow furrowed and he looked nearly offended for a moment.    
“What’s it to you?” Price questioned, with a smartass look on his face that made Laurens want to slap him so hard he would vanish into thin air. 

“What’s it to me?” Laurens snapped. Mulligan was half raised from his chair, his eyes locked on Laurens. 

“Watch it,” Mulligan warned, reaching out to touch Laurens’s arm. Laurens didn’t pull away, but seemed to be fighting Mulligan’s influence. “Take a deep breath.” His voice was steady, but Philip didn’t miss the glint of nervousness in his face as Laurens flushed red and his nostrils flared. Mulligan’s power was reliable, but it didn’t work as well when he was under stress. And if anything put Mulligan under stress, it was Laurens. 

“Yeah,” Price mumbled. Mulligan snapped towards him, his eyes blown wide. “Wouldn’t want poor little John upset would we?” There was a furious glint in his eyes. Price cocked his head to the side, his bottom lip pouted. “Are you on your period?” 

And with that, Laurens picked up the nearest thing (which, just his luck, was a glass that Philip had put by the sink) and hurled it across the room at Price’s head. It went right through him, a little distorted before it hit the wall and shattered. 

Price yelled and held up his arms. “What the fuck-”

“ _ HOW DARE YOU? _ ” Laurens’s voice cracked, but he looked angrier than Philip had seen him in a long, long time. Mulligan was out of his seat, at Laurens’s side, and had an arm around him in less time than Philip had to process what was happening. 

“Hey, sh, sh-”

“Don’t baby him, Hercules. We both know he can fend for-”

“What gives you the  _ fuckin’  _ right?” Laurens looked about on the verge of tears, but his freckles were still iridescent. He probably couldn’t focus enough to read what Price was going to do. “Where on-”

“John,  _ please _ .” Mulligan’s voice was quiet, but firm. 

“Richard, please go.” Philip stood up, much to Eacker’s dismay, who shook his head frantically. 

“Stay out of this, Philip. Seriously, it isn’t your place-”

“Richard.” Philip stepped forward to him, reaching out. Price touched Philip’s hands, but pulled away. 

“No, seriously, I don’t want you here anymore. That was-”

“Why do you always get into my shit?” Price turned to him now. Everyone in the room had seemed to forget about what had just been happening two seconds ago. 

Eacker was up now. 

Philip could feel his heart begin to beat faster. His lungs felt tighter, but he didn’t want to stand down. Well, he did. He just didn’t want to admit it. Price wouldn’t let him forget it, much like all the other times he had given up on a fight or an argument. 

“Because I’m supposed to. If I didn’t monitor the things you did, you’d be dead by-” 

“I don’t want you to!” Price pressed his fingers to his temples before extending them forward in an exasperated gesture. “I shouldn’t have to ask to have a private life around you! Same goes for Eacker, you two are always on my ass about everything, and honestly-”

“You don’t have to worry about me, then.” Philip’s face fell into an expressionless one, his arms crossing in front of him. Laurens and Mulligan had retreated into Laurens’s room at that point, and Philip could faintly hear Mulligan talking to him. 

Eacker looked puzzled, but his eyes looked fearful. Philip wondered if he knew what he meant. He didn’t really know what he meant. 

“W-” Price dropped his arms. “What?” 

“You don’t have to worry about me involved in your stuff anymore.” Philip was really diving into the deep end now, he didn’t have a solid point or a valid reason to say what he thought he was saying, but there was a small voice in his head telling him to keep forcing out the words. “I’m not-”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Price’s voice was shaking, but his eyes were still shooting daggers at Philip. He  _ had  _ to know what he was saying. 

“I’m breaking up with you.” Philip said it, almost like a declaration. It was, but it felt more official than just saying something to someone. He felt, he couldn’t put his finger on it, but the moment Price started to speak again, his feelings turned to guilt. 

“Y-You’re… You’re breaking up with me?” His voice was straddling the line between furious and desperate, and Philip hated it. 

“Yes,”  _ No _ . “I don’t know if George is going to do it too, but I am.”  _ Take it back. Take it back,  _ now _.  _

“I, uh.” Eacker looked nervously, back and forth between Price and Philip. “I don’t want to, y’know, do more damage, but maybe Philip’s right. We’ve all been-”

“Wait, you too?” Price whipped around to face Eacker, his hand stopping halfway to his chest. “I don’t-”

“We should all just,” Eacker shrugged, his hands in his pockets. “Take a break from each other. I think that that would be best.”  _ No, no, no, no, no- _

“Yeah, what George said.” Philip wanted to throw himself off of a cliff. Things usually went downhill pretty fast for them, but never had they fallen so fast and so far. He racked his brain for anyone with time manipulation. Elizabeth? She could, maybe, but she was high ninety percent of the time, nothing-

“Fine,” Price didn’t say anything else as he turned and left the room, not even stopping when he got to the door. He just pushed it open and slammed it shut. 

Eacker and Philip stood in silence for a while. Philip could hear Laurens once again, but couldn’t decipher what he was saying. He might have been crying, but the blood in his ears was rushing too fast for him to hone in on a specific thing. Eacker looked at him, opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it. He looked about on the verge of tears himself. Philip wanted to say something, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. 

It happened fast. In less than a minute, maybe, but Philip couldn’t get over what he did- he didn’t just  _ do  _ things like that. Philip was never spontaneous, especially with things involving his boyfriends. Eacker carefully walked towards the door, but stopped once his hand touched the handle. He peered over his shoulder and smiled, a genuine smile for some reason.    
“See you later,” He opened the door and closed it a lot more gently than Price had. Philip sat down on Laurens’s table, his hands folded in his lap. He stared at the ground before even processing that Eacker had told him something. 

“You too,” 

______________________________________________________________________

 

Alex kicked a loose rock into the water, jumping a bit as it splashed. He was in some, weird forest area, but from what he had seen so far, it was nice. He just wanted to be alone for a while. He had been inside this weird, supernatural, fifth dimension, twilight zone world for, what, four? Five days? He honestly could have been there for a year. Everything had just been a blur of meeting new people, hearing shit about this person and hearing amazing things about that person, and Alex couldn’t differentiate the days anymore because there were no  _ damn windows anywhere _ . 

Alex had met a lot of people. Obviously, the first solid forty-eight hours, he was just being taken from one person to the next. He didn’t remember who he had met, he just remembered vague facts about some of them. 

Martha Wales didn’t like him, the King was already on his ass, avoid Adrienne, Seabury was a slut, Thomas was shady, Dolley was a badass, and Burr was… Something. He wasn’t sure about Burr yet. 

The only people Alex was confident weren’t going to end up being backstabbing cannibals were Laurens, Mulligan, and Madison. Lafayette, for all he was worth, was still a demon. He wasn’t completely used to demons. Yet, maybe. Madison was too much of a nervous wreck to warrant Alex being afraid of him. He was really nice, too. He gave him his sweater after he fell in the water in the ocean room. He hadn’t taken it off. It was comfortable. 

Mulligan and Laurens were amazing. They were nice and informative, and they didn’t treat him like he was an idiot when he asked, to be fair, really idiotic questions. Mulligan was a moderator, Alex had observed that pretty easily. Laurens reminded him of a jackal, or an animal in that nature. He was really energetic and, frankly, really angry. Like most of the time, he looked like he was about to cuss someone out. But he was sweet. Alex really liked both of them, but Laurens seemed a bit more sorted out than Mulligan. That was a weird thing to say, because Mulligan was definitely more down to earth, but Mulligan seemed to have a lot of stuff going on. 

So that was Alex’s recap of everything. 

The last time he was with everyone was when Laurens punched Thomas in the face. Funny, yes, but terrifying. Dolley had grabbed his arm the moment it happened and dragged him out of the room before he got dragged into it. Dolley was awesome. Yeah, Alex was pretty sure she wasn’t a backstabbing cannibal. Okay, so Alex knew four people he was chill with. 

But he had just been with Dolley since. She took him back to her room and they sat and talked for a long time, just about life. Alex gave her the rundown of everything and everyone he had met, and she sure found it hilarious. She told him that Laurens had a pretty intense grudge against nearly everyone he met, and that it was really easy for him to start getting physical. Dolley told him that it was best not to bring it up. 

Alex bent down to pick up a stone that had a small red heart on it. It was buried under the other rocks on the bank of the river, but the red really stood out. He picked it up and observed it for a few moments before flipping it over. He smiled as he saw writing on the smooth bottom of the rock. 

_ Kitty and Susan- 1593- Croatoan. _

He twisted his mouth. Kitty sounded like it may have been familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on if he had really heard her name or not. Susan, now Susan was a new name. Croatoan wasn’t a name, was it? No, no, it was the word on the tree. Right? After the Roanoke colony disappeared. Alex was pretty sure that was what it was. He couldn’t figure out how the words on the rock fit together, but it was interesting. He drew his arm back, preparing to throw it as far as he could upstream. Just as he exhaled and threw it, a gunshot-like sound rang out behind him, followed by a loud splash next to his feet. 

Alex half-threw it and half-dropped the rock out of fear. “ _ Jesus Christ, _ ” He whipped around to face the forest, but couldn’t see anything. He debated saying something, and decided that nothing hurt to try. “H-Hello?” 

“That is simultaneously the oldest trick in the book, and the dumbest trick in the book.” Alex turned to face the path he had taken along the river, a weight lifted off of his shoulders as he faced Laurens. 

“Fuck you, really.” He forced a laugh. “What did you even do? How’d you make that sound?” 

Laurens shrugged. “I didn’t do that.” 

“Bullshit,” 

“I didn’t!” Laurens held up his hands in surrender. He did some sort of half-skip towards Alex and bent down to the water. He fished around for a few moments under the water, running his hand along the bottom of the river. He suddenly straightened up, something in his hand. “Aha! You got some spies.” He winked, and grabbed Alex’s wrist, pressing a small disk into his hand. 

Alex looked at it and clenched his jaw, but raised an eyebrow. “You’re joking.” 

“Nah, it’s a nymph’s bullet.” Laurens pointed to it and made a circular motion with his finger. “Flip it over, you can see a bunch of markings.” 

Alex did, running his fingers over the edge. He drew in a sharp breath. “This is really sharp. Was… was this gonna kill me?” Laurens shoved his hands in his pockets. 

“Well, probably. I opened the door as she shot, so I may have thrown her off balance.” Laurens said this as if it was a normal occasion. Alex’s heart skipped a few beats and his hand tightened, but he tried to change the subject.

“Who’s ‘she’?” Nice job changing the subject, Alexander. 

“Oh, probably Symmes.” Laurens looked at the river again and kicked a few pebbles in. 

“Thanks for the help, buddy.” Alex rolled his eyes. “Who is that?” 

“What rock were you about to throw?” 

“Uh, I think it was one of those ‘Bob plus Mary equals love’ stuff-” Laurens started laughing. “What?” 

“Those are the names you came up with?” He clapped his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Seriously?” 

“Are you kidding?” Alex chuckled. “This isn’t the point now!” 

Laurens wiped his eyes and straightened his spine, sighing. “In all seriousness, yeah, it was Susan Symmes. Her and this fairy, Kitty, had a thing a long time ago and they were super into it.” 

“Why’d she try to kill me?” Alex yelled, facing the forest. Laurens put his hand on Alex’s face and directed his gaze back to him. 

“They ain’t together anymore and you tried to throw the rock. Symmes was super offended-”

“Tell her that I’m sorry I threw her precious rock, but also tell her to calm down.” Alex threw the small disk back towards the forest, ignoring Laurens’s protests. 

“Dude, you gotta stop provokin’ the people here.” He made eye contact with Alex, but then looked away and rolled his eyes. “Nah, but nymphs are also super sensitive.” He stepped around Alex to start walking upstream. “Follow me, let’s chat a while.” Alex frowned, but did follow him. 

“Everyone must be a nymph, then.” He went to put his hands in his pockets, but regretfully didn’t have any. 

“Whaddya mean?” Laurens reached up and tightened his ponytail. 

“Well, half of the people I’ve met here lose their shit if I say anything to them.” When Laurens didn’t say anything, he took that as an invitation to keep talking. “Like, the King lost his mind, I’m pretty sure all the merpeople hate me, Thomas is all around just kinda weird, Seabury got super offended every time I said something to him, Price hates everyone and everything, but you know that, and, uh, I dunno, everyone here is just kinda on edge it seems.” 

Laurens giggled. “Damn, I love listenin’ to you talk about people.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Nah, but you’re right.”

“About what?” 

“About everyone being super on edge here. Everyone is kinda always on edge here. Everyone’s been through some kinda childhood trauma and since so many people live here, everyone’s got some shit on someone. We all kinda petty, too.” 

“Well, that Susan girl needs to calm down a little bit more than everyone else.” Alex mumbled. “So, Dolley said you were with Philip and Eacker.” 

“You were with Dolley?” His voice wasn’t accusatory, more curious. 

“Yeah, after all that stuff with Jefferson, she just kinda dragged me out.”

“Understandable.” Laurens smiled at him. “But, yikes. I have a lot to explain about them, so why don’t we just sit down and chat for a little bit.” Almost instantaneously, Laurens sat on the ground, his legs crossed. 

“Uh…”

“C’mon. The ground doesn’t hurt anyone.” Laurens patted the ground next to him. “Are you afraid to get your pants dirty?” 

“Pfft,” Alex sat down reluctantly. “No, I’m just letting you know that I’m only sitting down because this is grass.” 

“Makes no difference to me, sweetie.” Laurens ignored what he said, he probably didn’t even recognize he did it, but the pet name made Alex’s stomach turn. In a good way.  _ Maybe _ . 

“Okay, so Philip and Eacker. Explain, Dolley said there was a lot.” Alex smiled and drew his knees towards him, resting his chin on them. 

“Alright, well Philip is the sweetest kid in the world. Him and Mulligan are, like, brothers. So Mulligan would probably be better to explain all this, but he ain’t here now. So, Eacker is weird, he smokes pot with me and Dolley sometimes, but usually he ain’t proud of it, so he goes into the physical world most of the time when he’s smokin’.” Laurens frowned. “I probably shouldn't have told you that, so just don’t mention that. Well, they got together when Philip was, uh, actually, he was here. He was here, y’know, he can actually talk to animals, so he spends a lot of time here. But, Eacker just wandered in here and saw him talkin’ to a deer or somethin’, and apparently they really hit it off.” 

Alex smiled. “That’s really cute.” 

“Well,” Laurens ran his hand down his face. “So, you know I really don’t like Price, but, Philip and Eacker sure do.” 

“Oh?” Alex cocked his head, making eye contact with Laurens as he continued speaking. 

“They tried polyamory pretty soon after they all met, and they were into it. They’ve been together surprisingly long, and honestly, I’m pretty amazed by it.” Laurens sighed, verging wistfully. “I haven’t stayed in a relationship, probably longer than a few months in, uh, ever. Honestly, it’s sad, but, I dunno.” He crossed his ankles in front of him, leaning back on his wrists. 

“You don’t, uh, have to answer this if you don’t want to, but-”

“I’m gay, Hamilton.” Laurens smirked. His freckles were dark brown. “Don’t worry. I don’t have a weird thing with bi people.” 

Alex let out a long sigh of relief. “I’ve been with a good share of men who don’t like bisexual people.” 

“That’s weird to me.” Laurens looked back at the river. “Everyone just wants one thing. Happiness, right?” He looked back at Alex. 

“I guess. I dunno, this place is weird.” He pulled a fist full of grass out of the ground. “Half of me is saying that I really need to leave, but the other half knows that I have a better chance of amounting to anything  _ here  _ than out there.” He twisted his mouth uncomfortably, but then shook his head. 

Laurens made eye contact with him. His freckles were dark brown again. Alex tried to shove away every single gay thought that had been in his mind previously, but apparently it was too late. 

Laurens sat up and raised an eyebrow. “Can I kiss you?”

Alex’s eyes widened and he sharply drew in a breath.  _ Damn  _ Laurens. He wanted to, really, but he couldn’t get the words out right. “W-Wh… huh?” 

“I mean, I know the answer is yes, but I just have to get consent from you.” Laurens grinned playfully. 

Alex didn’t really have to think before he nodded.

Then before he could take a breath, Laurens’s lips were on his and Alex felt calm. His heart was beating louder than the river current, but he felt  _ calm _ . Definitely a nice change from everything that had been going on.

Laurens, really, was a nice change from everything. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> its been 84 years  
> be nice to people in 2018  
> please, okay?


End file.
